French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that an oil tanker, now immobilized off France’s Atlantic coast, had engaged in “very serious wrongdoings.” He explicitly linked the vessel to Russia’s elusive “shadow fleet,” a network operating to evade Western sanctions imposed due to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Last week, this very tanker was observed near the Danish coast. European naval experts had previously highlighted its potential involvement in suspicious drone flights over the country, adding another layer to its notoriety.
Acting on suspicions of illicit activities, French naval forces took decisive action a few days ago, forcibly boarding the ship at the request of prosecutors, a military official confirmed.
The prosecutor’s office in Brest, a city in western France, has since launched a judicial investigation. The crew faces charges of “refusal to cooperate” and “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel,” indicating a lack of transparency and adherence to international maritime law.
Following the initial boarding, the ship was ordered to remain in place as further investigations commenced. French naval personnel revisited the vessel to supply its crew with essential food and fuel, according to the official who could not be publicly identified due to the ongoing nature of the inquiry.
Records from the Marine Traffic monitoring website show that the ship departed from Russia’s Primorsk oil terminal near Saint Petersburg on September 20. After sailing past the Danish coast, it has remained off the French western port of Saint-Nazaire since Sunday, indicating a deliberate halt or interception.
President Macron hinted at the French authorities’ direct “intervention” in stopping the tanker. He remarked, “I think it’s a good thing that this work has been done and that we’ve been able to stop it,” underscoring the importance of their action.
Speaking at a European Union leaders’ summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, Macron elaborated that “very serious wrongdoings were made by this crew, which is why there are legal proceedings in the case.” He did not, however, provide specific details regarding these violations.
The Russian Embassy in Paris has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.
When questioned about the tanker’s potential link to drone incidents in Denmark and reports of two individuals being detained aboard, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declined to comment on specific investigative details. She did, however, express broader concerns.
Frederiksen emphasized the significant challenges posed by the “shadow fleet,” noting, “We are facing a lot of problems with the shadow fleet. And that has been the case, especially in the Baltic Sea for quite a long time. And we are working very closely together to battle this situation.”
Macron further highlighted that this incident brings to light “the existence and the reality of a phenomenon that we have been describing and denouncing for a long time,” referring to the “notorious shadow fleet.” He estimated that this clandestine operation generates tens of billions of euros for Russia’s budget, potentially financing up to 40% of its war efforts.
The French President revealed that between 600 and 1,000 vessels are actively transporting Russian oil and gas, effectively circumventing the Western sanctions designed to limit Russia’s financial resources.
This particular tanker, known by several names including “Pushpa” and “Boracay,” was found sailing under the flag of Benin. Notably, it appears on a list of ships targeted by the European Union’s sanctions against Russia.
The “shadow fleet” typically comprises older, second-hand tankers acquired by opaque entities often based in non-sanctioning countries. These ships then operate under flags from nations not participating in sanctions, facilitating Russia’s ability to sell its oil beyond the imposed price cap and undermining international efforts.