French Navy Boards Tanker Suspected of Russian Oil Trade Link
BREST, FRANCE – French naval forces boarded the oil tanker Boracay this week as part of an examination into its potential ties to russia’s “shadow fleet” used to circumvent international oil sanctions, authorities confirmed. The vessel,previously blacklisted as Kiwala in February,is suspected of involvement in facilitating Russian oil exports following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The investigation, opened by the public prosecutor’s office in Brest, centers on the crew’s “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” and “refusal to cooperate,” prosecutor Mr. Kellenberger told AFP. The Boracay departed the Russian port of Primorsk, near Saint Petersburg, on September 20, and was en route to Vadinar, India, with an expected arrival date of October 20, according to Marine Traffic data.
The incident highlights growing international efforts to disrupt Russia‘s ability to finance its war in ukraine through illicit oil trade. Western governments have imposed sanctions on Russia, including price caps and export restrictions, prompting Moscow to rely on a network of aging tankers – estimated to number between 600 and 1,000 vessels – to continue shipping its oil.French President Macron has stated this “shadow fleet” represents “tens of billions of euros of Russia’s budget” and funds approximately “40 per cent of the Russian war effort.”
The EU has sanctioned hundreds of these tankers. The boarding of the Boracay follows a recent NATO mission to investigate the cutting of a crucial undersea power cable, attributed by some to Russian “ghost ships.”
