Overview

• French navy commandos boarded the Boracay off Saint‑Nazaire and ordered the vessel to remain in place after prosecutors flagged irregularities.
• Prosecutors in Brest opened a probe into the crew’s refusal to cooperate and inability to prove the ship’s nationality, with a navy inquiry concluding it was sailing without a valid flag.
• The captain, a Chinese national, was released from custody and summoned to appear in court in February 2026, while the chief mate was released without charge.
• Tracking data placed the tanker off Denmark from September 22–25 during a spate of mystery drone incursions; specialist outlets and experts have suggested possible involvement, but officials have not confirmed any link.
• Macron linked the vessel to Russia’s shadow fleet—estimated at 600–1,000 ships—and urged coordinated EU/NATO detentions to undercut revenues, as French forces remained aboard during the ongoing investigation.