French Court Imposes €1 Million Fine on Owner of Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker

A French court in Brest has imposed a €1 million fine on the owner of the Russian shadow fleet tanker "Tagor," prosecutors announced on Thursday. Under a settlement in which the owner pleaded guilty, the ship will be allowed to leave French territorial waters. The fine was imposed for navigating without valid registration documents and for failing to comply with orders from French authorities.

The company registered in the Marshall Islands that owns "Tagor" admitted guilt and pledged to regularize the ship's documents as soon as possible. The vessel, part of Russia's shadow fleet, has changed flags multiple times, sailing under the flags of Madagascar, the Marshall Islands, and Panama at different stages to evade sanctions.

"Tagor" is the fourth tanker linked to Moscow that France has intercepted since September 2025. Last month, a fifth tanker, "Deliver," was detained off the coast of Sicily and remains in southeastern France.

In April, France announced plans to double penalties for ships that hide their origin or refuse to comply with orders. Shadow fleet vessels frequently switch flags or use invalid registrations to avoid tracking. Nearly 600 ships are currently under EU sanctions for suspected involvement in Russia's shadow fleet.