Tanker From Russia's "shadow Fleet" Detained In France

On September 20, it left the Russian port of Primorsk.

The French Navy said authorities are investigating a likely violation by the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, which is under European Union and British sanctions imposed against Russia, writes Reuters.

"Following a suspected violation by the Boracay vessel, a report was filed with the relevant prosecutor's office in Brest. The investigation is ongoing," the French Navy said in a statement.

According to the publication, the crude oil tanker is now anchored off the Atlantic coast of western France, near Saint-Nazaire. It is noteworthy that separate sanctions were imposed against the tanker by the European Union and the UK in October 2024 and in February this year.

It is known that before that it was detained by the Estonian authorities due to the fact that the tanker was sailing without a valid flag of the country. The article points out that shadow fleet tankers often have opaque ownership and insurance structures. In addition, the vessel is often more than 20 years old.

According to MarineTraffic, the oil tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk on September 20 this year. It sailed through the Baltic Sea and over Denmark before entering the North Sea and sailing westward across the English Channel.

The tanker was built in 2007 and was escorted by a French warship after it rounded northwestern France before changing course and heading east toward the French coast.

The Brest prosecutor told the agency that an investigation was launched after the crew failed to provide proof of the ship's nationality and failed to follow orders. The EU said the ship was involved in transporting Russian oil and oil products "using irregular and risky shipping practices".

Britain also said the vessel was "involved in activities whose purpose or effect is to destabilize Ukraine ... or to benefit or support the Russian government" while transporting Russian-origin oil or oil products from Russia to a third country.

The publication noted that the ship changed its name to Boracay in December 2024, and was previously called Kiwala. Vessels can change names but retain the same IMO identification number throughout their lifetime.

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