PARIS (AP) — The French Navy, with support from the United Kingdom, has intercepted an oil tanker under international sanctions that was traveling from Russia, the most recent effort by nations that support Ukraine to target Russian oil exports helping to finance President Vladimir Putin’s war.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the interception in a post Monday on X, saying the Tagor was boarded on Sunday in the Atlantic. The post included a video showing a person rappelling from a helicopter onto a ship. It is the latest in a series of French naval interceptions of tankers suspected of links to Russia.
“It is unacceptable that boats skirt international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and finance the war that Russia has been waging for more than 4 years against Ukraine,” Macron wrote. “These ships, that don’t respect the most elementary rules of maritime navigation, are also a threat to the environment and everyone’s security.”
Oil revenue is a key part of Russia’s economy, allowing Putin to pour money into the war effort against Ukraine without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse.
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade international sanctions imposed over the war. France and other countries have vowed to crack down on the sanction-busting so-called “shadow fleet.”
Responding to the latest French interception, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia “considers such actions illegal.”
“They border on piracy,” he said Monday. “We absolutely disagree that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law.”
French maritime authorities said the tanker was intercepted more than 400 nautical miles west of France, in international waters in the Atlantic. It was traveling from the northwestern Russian port of Murmansk, according to the authorities’ statement.
It said the tanker is suspected of operating under a false flag and that the French navy is now escorting it to an anchorage for more checks.
Tankers previously intercepted by France include the Deyna, boarded in the Mediterranean Sea in March. Another tanker, the Grinch, intercepted in the Mediterranean in January, was released in February after paying a multimillion-euro penalty.
Associated Press writer Elise Morton in London contributed.
In this handout photo provided by the French Army, a French army NH90 helicopter flies over the oil tanker Tagor, which is under international sanctions and was traveling from Russia in the Atlantic Sea, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (French Army via AP)
In this handout photo provided by the French Army, French soldiers use a rope from a NH90 helicopter intercepts an oil tanker that was traveling from Russia under international sanctions, on the Atlantic Sea, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (French Army via AP)
In this handout photo provided by the French Army, an NH90 helicopter intercepts an oil tanker that was traveling from Russia under international sanctions, on the Atlantic Sea, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (French Army via AP)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Polls opened Monday in Ethiopia in an election that is widely expected to be won by the ruling party.
A heavy military presence was observed in the capital, Addis Ababa, as observers called for a peaceful election in the country that is Africa's second-most populous and hosts the headquarters of the African Union.
Long queues began forming before the 6 a.m. opening time, with voters eager to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.
Ethiopians are choosing more than 500 members of the House of Representatives, who will subsequently vote to select the prime minister.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party is expected to secure a majority of seats, paving the way for him to retain office for another term.
About 50 million people, out of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 130 million, are registered to vote. Voters are also electing members of local government councils. Results are expected later on Monday.
Opposition parties have raised concerns over what they describe as a shrinking political space, alleging that they were prevented from actively campaigning and persuading voters. Ethiopia has also faced criticism over reports of human rights abuses targeting government critics and journalists.
A human rights defender, Noah Yesuf, said the election was illegitimate "from the beginning."
“The fairness of an election is judged by whether there is a level playing field for the opposition and a conducive environment for citizens to freely participate,” he told The Associated Press.
There’s an element of voter apathy due to citizens feeling let down by politicians.
Senait Dereje, a 37-year-old shopkeeper, is certain her vote matters.
“I have registered to vote. I am not sure if my vote will bring the change that I want and that will help change my livelihood,” Dereje told the AP. “I know many friends refuse to vote as they have given up on the politicians but I have not and I see it as a referendum like vote on the mixed record of the government."
This year’s election themes include national reconciliation due to the fighting seen in regions such as Tigray, Oromia, and Amhara, and there is also a development theme as the government pledges to undertake major projects.
Ethiopian voters gather outside a polling station during the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
A voter casts a ballot at a polling station during the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
Ethiopian women collect ballot papers at a polling station during the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
Ethiopian voters gather outside a polling station before voting begins in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
Election officials prepare a polling station before voting begins in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
People gather outside a polling station before casting their votes in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
People gather outside a polling station before casting their votes in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
Election officials prepare a polling station before voting begins in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
People gather outside a polling station before casting their votes in the general election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)
