Seizure of Oil Tanker by France Calls for International Condemnation - Russian Diplomat

Alexander Grushko stressed that there were no Russian citizens aboard the plane.

Moscow, October 15. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters that the arrest of the oil tanker DF Peak by France off the coast of Reunion is an act of piracy that should be condemned by all countries.

He pointed out: This is a clear violation of international laws and a completely unacceptable procedure that requires the condemnation of the international community.

"There were no Russian nationals on the ship, but this fact does not change our attitude towards such reckless actions at sea," the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs stated. "This goes far beyond the boundaries of international law; in particular, it is a clear violation of the 1982 Convention. It is completely unacceptable," he stressed.

"No matter how France defines this, I repeat that this can only be classified as a flagrant violation of all existing maritime regulations," the senior diplomat concluded.

President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X: The French Navy seized the tanker DF Peak more than 450 nautical miles south of Reunion Island on the morning of October 12. He claimed that the move was part of efforts to combat Russia's so-called shadow fleet.

The Russian embassy noted that France violated international law by seizing commercial ships on the high seas and sought to justify piracy by citing the UN Convention.