Macron's harder line on Russia: Shoot down drones, board shadow-fleet tankers

French President Emmanuel Macron urged European leaders on October 2 to adopt a more forceful and less predictable approach to Russia, calling for the interception of drones that intrude into European airspace and for boarding shadow-fleet tankers that clandestinely transport oil to deprive Moscow of wartime revenue.

Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Macron and other European leaders pushed for tougher sanctions on Russia — with a particular focus on measures aimed at its energy sector — and warned that Ukraine is on the frontline of an expanding hybrid war that now threatens Europe.

Macron argued that Europe should protect its interests without telegraphing its intentions to Moscow. “I think the main answer should be more unpredictability and more strategic ambiguity,” he told the gathering.

On the immediate operational response to provocations, Macron was unequivocal. “It’s very important to have a clear message: drones which would violate our territories are just taking a big risk. They can be destroyed, full stop,” he said. “We are not here to provide the full notice. We will do what we have to do.”

As an example of direct action, Macron pointed to a recent French decision to stop an oil tanker listed on the EU’s shadow-fleet sanctions registry and to detain two members of its crew — an operation that authorities see as a model for depriving Russia of revenue. Naval experts suspect that the same vessel may have been involved in drone flights over Denmark.

Macron estimated the financial impact of the shadow fleet on Russia’s war effort, saying that these operations finance “30 to 40% of the war effort.”

Explaining the tactical logic behind targeting the shadow fleet, he argued that temporarily seizing such ships can significantly disrupt the illicit network. By detaining vessels for “a week or two,” he said, “we completely break the efficiency of the organisation. So the shadow fleet is a very good target if you want to improve our efficiency to reduce these capacities.”

Macron added that the particular tanker France stopped had previously been inspected by Estonian authorities in March.

By Tamilla Hasanova