UK helps French navy seize Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker as dramatic vid shows troops repel from choppers to storm ship

BRITAIN has helped the French navy seize a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Atlantic.

Dramatic video shared by French President Emmanuel Macron shows the moment his Navy captured the vessel in a daring operation.

Choppers can be seen approaching the ship through thick clouds, accompanied by dance music in the clip shared by Macron.

Helicopters hover over the tanker before troops rapidly rappel down to its deck.

Footage then shows the French navy forces on board.

The sanctioned ship, the Tagor, was boarded on Sunday with the help of the UK, the French President said on Monday.

It was captured around 400 nautical miles west of the tip of Brittany.

Macron wrote: “This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, on the high seas, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.”

Russia claimed the seizure was “illegal” and “bordering on international piracy”, but the French president hit back.

He slammed Vladimir Putin‘s shadow fleet as funding the deranged dictator’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sharing a video of the copter mission on X, he wrote: “It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years.”

The Kremlin said it would take “measures to ensure the safety of shipping cargo” in response to the French seizure.

The Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic said the tanker came from Murmansk, Russia.

It said the shadow fleet tanker had been falsely flying a Cameroonian flag and was steaming towards Limbe.

A statement read: “This ‌operation was aimed at checking the nationality of a vessel suspected of flying a false flag.

“After the inspection team boarded the vessel, an examination of the documents confirmed suspicions regarding the irregularity of the flag flown.

“In accordance with international law and at the ‌request of the public prosecutor, the vessel was diverted.”

The prefecture did not name the ship, but said it was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag and was heading towards Limbe, Cameroon.

The ship had 23 crew members when it was seized, according to authorities.

The Maritime Prefecture added that it was “being escorted by the French navy to an anchorage point for further checks”.