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1h ago

France Keeps Forces Aboard Sanctioned ‘Ghost Fleet’ Tanker Off Saint‑Nazaire as Inquiry Widens

Prosecutors opened an inquiry into the ship’s nationality documents, with the captain and first officer now in custody.

Image
Un pétrolier de la flotte fantôme russe, ici au large de l'île allemande de Rügen, le 17 août 2025. Image d'illustration.
Cette photo aérienne prise le 1er octobre 2025 au large du port de Saint-Nazaire, dans l’ouest de la France, montre le pétrolier Boracay, de la flotte dite « fantôme » russe, soupçonné d’être impliqué dans des vols de drones au-dessus du Danemark.

Overview

  • French commandos remained on the 244‑meter tanker on Thursday morning, with the vessel immobilized near the Saint‑Nazaire wind farm.
  • The Brest prosecutor is probing failure to justify nationality/pennant plus refusal to comply, offenses that carry up to one year in prison and a €150,000 fine.
  • Two crew members identified as the master and his deputy were placed in police custody on Tuesday and their detention was extended on Wednesday, with a judge to decide within 48 hours on any further measures.
  • The ship, known as Pushpa or Boracay and currently Benin‑flagged, is on EU sanctions lists as part of Russia’s “ghost fleet” after repeated name and flag changes.
  • Danish drone overflights coincided with the tanker’s passage on September 22–25, a possible link reported by maritime outlets that authorities have not confirmed, while President Emmanuel Macron pressed for tougher European checks on such vessels.