Overview
- French commandos boarded the 244‑metre tanker Pushpa/Boracay over the weekend and it remains immobilized off Saint‑Nazaire under naval supervision.
- The Brest prosecutor opened a preliminary inquiry for failure to justify the ship’s flag and refusal to comply, with the probe led by maritime gendarmes.
- Two crew members presenting themselves as the captain and his deputy are in extended custody; prosecutors say the captain, a Chinese national, will be tried for refusal to obey.
- Maritime data show the vessel left Primorsk on September 20 and passed near Danish waters September 22–25; specialist outlets have floated a drone link that authorities have not confirmed.
- Identified as part of Russia’s sanctions‑evading ‘ghost fleet’ and listed under EU sanctions, the tanker has a history of multiple names and flags; Macron called for increased pressure on such ships, while Putin condemned the interception as “piracy.”