(Photo DAMIEN MEYER)
The French military boarded a ship suspected of operating for Russia’s “shadow fleet” and arrested the captain and first officer, authorities said.
Brest Prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger, whose office is in charge of the matter, said the two people apprehended identified themselves as the captain and first officer of the vessel, Reuters reported. They did not give proof of the vessel’s nationality or follow orders, he alleged, adding that the length of their detention has extended.
The “Boracay” or “Pushpa,” whose name has changed multiple times, was reportedly operating under Benin’s flag and fell under European Union sanctions targeting Russia, according to CBS News. The ship departed Primorsk, a Russian oil terminal, on Sept. 20, sailed along Denmark’s coast and has held position off the western French port Saint-Nazaire since Sunday, according to data from Marine Traffic.
French naval personnel interdicted the ship after prosecutors suspected illicit activities, a military official told the outlet Wednesday. Brest prosecutors announced an investigation has begun into the crew’s alleged “refusal to cooperate” and “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel.”
The ship was positioned around 50 nautical miles to Copenhagen’s south when drone activity forced the the city’s airport to close Sept. 22, Reuters reported, citing Marine Traffic data. The ship was also reportedly seen heading south along the western coast of Denmark on Sept. 24, when drones were detected operating north of Esbjerg and close to multiple airports in the region.
“Thanks to our Navy commandos and to the crews of the French Navy who intervened this weekend on board a tanker from the Russian shadow fleet, currently anchored off Saint-Nazaire as part of a state investigation,” French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X. “Their action contributed to the detention of two crew members.”
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the move Wednesday, according to CBS News. “There were some very serious wrongdoings made by this crew, which is why there are legal proceedings in the case,” he said.
He said the incident highlighted the activities of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which provides tens of billions of euros for Russia’s finances and supports around 40% of the Kremlin’s military efforts in Ukraine.
Russia’s “shadow fleet” consists of aging tankers purchased second-hand, frequently by obscure entities based in non-sanctioning countries, and sailing under flags from such nations, CBS News reported. Their task is to assist Russian oil exporters in bypassing the price cap levied by Ukraine’s allies against them.
