Overview

• The Boracay left anchorage off Saint‑Nazaire during the night of October 2–3 and is tracking toward the Suez route and India, according to maritime data and French authorities.
• The captain and his second, both described as Chinese nationals, were returned to the vessel after custody, and the captain is scheduled to be tried in Brest in February 2026 for refusal to comply; the second is not being prosecuted.
• French commandos boarded the EU‑sanctioned tanker over inconsistencies in its stated nationality and lack of flag, and judicial officials said it carried a significant oil cargo.
• Emmanuel Macron called for a stepped‑up policy to impede such ships, cited more than €30 billion in trade tied to the fleet, and announced an imminent meeting of European chiefs of staff to coordinate actions.
• Vladimir Putin labeled the operation piracy and said the ship was seized in neutral waters, while French authorities have not opened a probe into unproven suggestions of a link to recent Danish drone overflights.