France halts Russian shadow tanker, arrests its crew
France detains two crew members of Russian shadow fleet tanker (Photo: pixabay.com)
French law enforcement detained two crew members of a tanker believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet as part of a state investigation, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote on X on Oct. 2.
The ship is docked at the French port of Saint-Nazaire. The two crew members were detained on the order of the Brest prosecutor.
On Oct. 1, AFP reported that the French Navy had stopped and taken control of Boracay tanker on Sept. 27.
The vessel, which belongs to Russia’s shadow fleet and is under EU and UK sanctions, had been sailing under the flag of Benin. It was present in waters near Denmark between Sept. 22 and 25, during a period when unidentified drones were spotted over the country’s airports and military facilities.
The Brest prosecutor said France launched an investigation after the tanker’s crew failed to provide proof of the ship’s nationality and did not comply with orders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said that Russia has been using tankers to control and launch drones against European countries.
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