UMVA has learned that a shocking act of maritime aggression has been perpetrated against a Russian cargo ship in international waters, sparking a heated diplomatic row between Russia and Western powers.
The vessel, Tagor, was sailing from Russia's Murmansk to Cameroon when it was intercepted and diverted by French and British naval forces on Sunday, more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Brittany. Russian officials are outraged, accusing France and the UK of engaging in an act of "piracy" that blatantly disregards international maritime law.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the operation, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that the Russian Embassy in Paris has demanded full information concerning the circumstances of the detention. Moscow is taking measures to protect Russian crew members aboard the vessel, Zakharova added.
The French authorities claim the ship was operating under a "false" flag, but Zakharova has rejected France's justification for the operation, which cited Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Moscow argues that international maritime law does not permit a warship to compel a vessel to alter course and escort it from international waters to a national port.
Zakharova also dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron's insinuation that the ship was violating "international sanctions," arguing that only restrictions approved by the UN Security Council qualify as international sanctions. Unilateral measures imposed by European states cannot be considered international under law, she said.
The spokeswoman accused European governments of selectively interpreting legal norms to suit their interests, while cautioning that attempts to enforce sanctions in areas governed by freedom of navigation could have broader consequences for global shipping. She warned that extending such enforcement practices to the high seas could prove costly for international maritime trade.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the incident has significant implications for the global maritime community, with many vessels operating in the interests of European countries sailing under so-called flags of convenience. The incident has raised concerns about the potential for future maritime confrontations and the need for clear adherence to international law.
