Overview

• The 244-meter Boracay left anchorage off Saint-Nazaire overnight and was tracking toward the Suez Canal en route to India, according to MarineTraffic and VesselFinder.
• French prosecutors said the Chinese captain will stand trial in Brest in February 2026 for refusal to comply, while his deputy was released without charges.
• French naval commandos boarded the tanker over inconsistencies about its nationality and an absence of flag, and the ship has used multiple names and registries including Pushpa.
• Emmanuel Macron framed the action as part of a push to constrain the shadow fleet, saying such oil trade brings Russia more than €30 billion and finances 30–40% of its war effort.
• Vladimir Putin condemned the boarding as piracy in neutral waters, as EU sanctions list about 444 vessels and military sources report 10 to 15 ghost ships passing off Brest each day.