Overview

• French naval commandos boarded the tanker near Ouessant and directed it to anchor about 30 kilometers off Saint-Nazaire, where French personnel remain on board.
• The Chinese captain was charged for failing to follow an official order and must appear in Brest in February, while the first officer was released and a second allegation about the ship’s nationality was dropped.
• Authorities say the vessel belongs to Russia’s so‑called shadow fleet, appears on the EU sanctions list, and has frequently changed names and flags, with Macron noting it was previously checked by Estonian authorities in March.
• Investigators are assessing whether the ship was connected to drones recently observed over Denmark after ship‑tracking showed it near the Danish coast on September 22–25, though no public evidence has established a launch‑platform role.
• Macron called for coordinated European action to detain such vessels long enough to undermine their business model, as officials highlight safety risks, sanction evasion and potential espionage or infrastructure sabotage linked to parts of the fleet.