French Authorities Seize Oil Tanker Allegedly Linked to Russia

Paris, Oct 2 (AP) French authorities have detained two crew members of an oil tanker off the Atlantic coast, with President Emmanuel Macron alleging ties to Russia.

Macron claims the vessel is part of Russia's "shadow fleet," composed of older tankers with suspicious ownership and safety records, allegedly circumventing Western sanctions due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The Brest prosecutor, Stephane Kellenberger, confirmed on Thursday that individuals identifying as the captain and chief mate have been held since at least Wednesday.

A preliminary inquiry began when the Atlantic Maritime Prefect alerted authorities about the crew's “refusal to cooperate” and inability to “justify the nationality of the vessel.”

Last week, the tanker was noted off Denmark’s coast, with European naval experts suspecting its involvement in drone operations over the country.

Colonel Guillaume Vernet, a French military spokesperson, mentioned on Thursday that a specialized navy commando team boarded the ship recently, following international protocols due to a mismatch between its claimed and actual nationality. The ship is currently detained in a secure area, with further details pending the investigation.

Macron commended the French navy’s efforts to track the "shadow fleet," noting that detention disrupts their operations.

At a European summit in Copenhagen, he stated that 30 to 40% of Russia's war funding is derived from the shadow fleet, equating to over 30 billion euros. Intensifying pressure on this fleet, he argued, would limit Russia’s war financing capabilities.

The detained ship was flying a false flag and is allegedly the same vessel intercepted by Estonia earlier this year for a similar issue.

In April, Estonian media reported the ship known then as “Kiwala” was halted near Tallinn Bay en route to Russia’s port of Ust-Luga. At that time, the Estonian Prime Minister highlighted the detention of a flagless vessel by the navy, but no further details were provided.

The ship, now possibly named “Pushpa” or “Boracay,” left from Primorsk, Russia on September 20 and lingered near Saint-Nazaire, France, as per Marine Traffic. Changing names frequently, it sails under Benin’s flag and is under EU sanctions relating to Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied any knowledge of the ship, accusing some countries of provocations against Russia.

The shadow fleet consists of old tankers purchased by obscure entities in countries not sanctioning Russia. These ships, flying under non-sanctioning flags, assist Russia’s oil industry in bypassing export price caps set by Ukraine's allies. (AP) SKS SKS

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