Russia on Tuesday protested France's detention of the vessel Tagor in international waters, calling the move a "violation of international maritime law" and demanding an explanation from Paris.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the vessel, which was traveling from Murmansk to Cameroon, was intercepted on May 31 by French forces with British support about 400 nautical miles west of Brittany. French authorities reportedly suspected the ship of operating under a false flag.
"The Russian Embassy in France has demanded that Paris provide full details of the circumstances surrounding the detention and is taking comprehensive steps to protect the Russian nationals among the crew," Zakharova said.
She rejected France's justification under Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, arguing that while the provision allows limited inspections under specific circumstances, it does not permit a vessel to be forcibly diverted from international waters to a foreign port.
"International maritime law permits a warship to stop and, in strictly limited circumstances, inspect a vessel on the high seas. However, the power to forcibly divert a vessel from the high seas-a maritime space where unfettered freedom of navigation applies-and escort it to a port in the warship's home country is not provided for under any international treaty," she said.
Zakharova also dismissed references to sanctions enforcement, arguing that only measures approved by the UN Security Council can be considered international sanctions.
"The French authorities' claims that their actions were consistent with international law is yet another example of European legal nihilism and the selective rewriting of norms to suit their ends," she said.
She further criticized what she called the "Franco-British pirate tandem" and warned that expanding such enforcement actions could have broader implications for international shipping, noting that many commercial vessels serving European interests operate under flags of convenience.
