BREST
The French navy was on board a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” stationed off France on Wednesday, journalists at the scene reported. The action follows ship tracking data showing the vessel was off the Danish coast last month during a series of mysterious drone flights.
- The Boracay: The Benin-flagged vessel, variously known as Pushpa and Kiwala, is blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s sanction-busting fleet of ageing oil tankers. Data shows it was positioned off Denmark from September 22 to 25.
- Danish Drone Sightings: Drones have been sighted across Denmark, including over military sites, since September 22, leading to airport closures and a temporary ban on civilian drone flights.
- Naval Action: French military personnel were observed on the deck of the tanker, now anchored off the coast of western France. A government source confirmed that the French navy had boarded the ship on Saturday.
President Macron Confirms Investigation
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Wednesday that France was investigating the ship for “serious offences,” though he refrained from confirming a direct connection to the Danish drone flights.
- Justification: Speaking at an EU leaders’ summit in Copenhagen, Macron stated: “There were some very serious offences committed by this crew, which justify the current judicial procedure.”
- Suspected Role: The specialist website The Maritime Executive suggests the 244-metre (801-foot) tanker is suspected of being involved in the drone flights, possibly serving as a launch platform or a decoy. Macron, however, maintained caution, stating it was not for him to establish a link.
- Scope of Probe: The public prosecutor’s office in the northwestern French city of Brest opened an investigation following a navy report. The probe focuses on the crew’s “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” and “refusal to cooperate,” according to Brest public prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger.
The Russian “Shadow Fleet”
The French operation underscores the urgent European efforts to curb the “shadow fleet” of vessels aiding Russia in circumventing Western sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- Sanctions Evasion: The European Union has sanctioned hundreds of ageing tankers used by Russia to bypass oil export curbs. The Boracay was blacklisted in February under the name Kiwala.
- Tracking Data: According to the Marine Traffic website, the tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk (outside Saint Petersburg) on September 20 and was scheduled to arrive in Vadinar in northwestern India on October 20.
- Scale of the Fleet: The French President estimated the “shadow fleet” to include between “600 and 1,000 ships,” which he said represent “tens of billions of euros of Russia’s budget” and make up “40 per cent of the Russian war effort.”
