Overview

• French forces boarded the tanker on October 1 and detained two crew members, then prosecutors narrowed the case to the captain and released the first mate.
• Brest prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry over failure to provide documents proving the ship’s nationality and refusal to comply with authorities.
• The tanker, also reported as Pushpa and formerly Kiwala, appears on European sanctions lists for transporting Russian crude to third countries.
• The ship is anchored off France’s west coast near Saint-Nazaire as investigators examine its flag and registration claims, reported as Benin or Djibouti.
• President Vladimir Putin called the action piracy and suggested France used the incident to divert attention from domestic political problems.