The captain of the Tagor tanker, a Russian national, has been released from custody after the vessel was detained by the French Navy, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Brest prosecutor\u2019s office. <\/p>\n
According to Prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger, the decision was made as part of “an ongoing large-scale and complex judicial investigation”, News.az<\/a> reports, citing TASS<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prosecutor added that the ship would remain anchored in the Bay of Douarnenez in the Finistere Department under “an administrative order.”<\/p>\n Earlier, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in France told TASS that diplomats had requested the French Ministry to provide consular access to the detained Russian national.<\/p>\n French President Emmanuel Macron stated on June 1 that the country\u2019s Navy, backed by the UK and other partners, had detained the Tagor, a sanctioned tanker sailing from Russia, in the Atlantic Ocean. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Moscow regarded the tanker\u2019s detention as illegal. According to him, the incident borders on piracy.<\/p>\n