French authorities are investigating a crude oil tanker suspected of operating within a “shadow fleet” moving Russian oil, after the vessel “Boracay” anchored off Saint-Nazaire, Reuters said citing the French Navy.
The Brest prosecutor’s office confirmed a probe was opened after the crew failed to prove the ship’s nationality and did not comply with orders, the news outlet said. A French warship had monitored the tanker as it rounded France’s northwestern tip before it altered course toward the coast and dropped anchor near the Loire estuary, according to the report.
The 2007-built tanker departed Primorsk, Russia, on Sept. 20, sailing through the Baltic Sea, around Denmark into the North Sea and westward through the English Channel, according to ship-tracking data cited in the report. Earlier this year, Estonian authorities detained the vessel for sailing without a valid flag.
The Boracay is listed under both UK and EU sanctions over links to the transport of Russian crude and petroleum products while engaging in “irregular and high-risk shipping practices.” The UK designation says the tanker has been “involved in activity whose object or effect is to destabilize Ukraine … or to obtain a benefit from or support the government of Russia” by carrying Russian-origin oil to third countries.
The vessel has operated under multiple identities, changing its name to Boracay and appearing as “Pushpa” in some shipping databases in December 2024. It previously sailed as “Kiwala”. While ship names can change, IMO identification numbers remain constant throughout a vessel’s life.
So-called shadow fleet tankers, often older ships with opaque ownership and insurance, have proliferated alongside restrictions on Russian energy exports. French authorities have not yet disclosed potential charges or next steps in the investigation, Reuters said.
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