French Navy commandos boarded the Boracay, a tanker suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, off the coast of Saint-Nazaire. Image credit: ABC News
French commandos detained the ship, called the Boracay, on Saturday after discovering irregularities in the vessel’s registration. The tanker, which had departed Russia’s Primorsk terminal on September 20 heading for India with oil, was travelling without a valid flag.
Brest prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger announced on Thursday that the Chinese captain will face trial on February 23. He faces a year in prison and a fine of €150,000 ($176,000). The ship’s chief mate, who is also Chinese, was freed by French authorities without charge.
Emmanuel Macron Links Tanker to War Financing
The move was welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said the tanker had behaved in an “extremely aggressive” fashion towards French frigates and helicopters.
You strangle the business model by holding up even for weeks or days these ships,” Macron said at a press conference in Copenhagen, underlining that revenues from the shadow fleet finance “30 to 40%” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Boracay, which used to be called Kiwala and Pushpa, has a record of sanctions-busting. Estonian soldiers detained it earlier this year for sailing without a flag. Now, the subject of EU and UK sanctions, the vessel is anchored under French naval guard off Saint-Nazaire.
Macron did not rule out a connection between the tanker and drone flights over Denmark last week but said investigators had not established a direct link.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed not to know about the vessel, accusing Western governments of masterminding “provocative actions” against Russia.
The French Navy has, at least temporarily, halted Boracay’s voyage, striking another blow to Russia’s illicit oil trade.
About the Author
