MOSCOW - France's actions in detaining the Russian vessel Tagor violate international law, and Moscow demands that Paris provide full information about its move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"The Russian Embassy in France has demanded that Paris provide full details of the circumstances surrounding the detention and is taking comprehensive steps to protect the Russian nationals among the crew," she said, calling the detention another example of European legal nihilism and the rewriting of international legal norms to suit themselves.

The French authorities misinterpreted Article 110 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows a warship to inspect a foreign ship in international waters if it is stateless, but does not authorize its escort to the port of the warship's state, she said.

On May 31, a French warship stopped Tagor 400 km from the French coastline in international waters, alleging that the vessel was sailing from Russia's Murmansk under a false flag. 

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On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow deems France's detention of the tanker Tagor "illegal" and bordering on piracy.

"We consider such actions illegal; they border on international piracy. We absolutely reject the claim that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law," Peskov said.

Russia will continue to take measures to ensure maritime cargo safety in light of this negative precedent, Peskov stressed.