France to Try Captain of Sanctioned Tanker Linked to Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”

The French prosecutor’s office has announced that the captain of the Boracay oil tanker, detained off the Atlantic coast, will stand trial in February 2026, AP reported. This development sheds light on Europe’s growing efforts to dismantle Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to bypass oil sanctions and, possibly, conduct hybrid operations.

According to prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger in Brest, the Boracay’s captain and chief mate—both Chinese citizens—were detained earlier this week when French military personnel boarded the vessel near Saint-Nazaire.

While the chief mate was released without charge, the captain will face trial on February 23, 2026, for “failure to cooperate” with authorities and “failure to confirm the vessel’s nationality.”

If found guilty, he could face up to one year in prison and a €150,000 fine. Kellenberger said that a preliminary investigation had been launched into the ship’s murky ownership and the absence of proper registration and flag documents—both of which violate international maritime law.

A Vessel With Many Names

The Boracay is no ordinary tanker. Built in 2007, the 244-meter vessel has changed names and flags multiple times—sailing under the flags of Gabon, the Marshall Islands, and Mongolia—before its latest registration in Benin. According to OpenSanctions.org, the tanker was previously known as Kiwala until December 2024 and was detained by the Estonian Navy earlier this year for operating without a flag or insurance.

The ship is already under EU, UK, Canadian, Swiss, and New Zealand sanctions for its alleged role in transporting Russian oil outside official trade routes. Maritime trackers show that on September 20, the tanker departed from Primorsk, one of Russia’s main oil export terminals, passed through Danish and British waters, and reached the Atlantic coast of France on Monday.

After rounding the northwestern coast, the Boracay was intercepted and escorted by a French warship, raising questions about its mission.

Links to Alleged Russian Hybrid Operations

The case gained additional weight because of its possible connection to recent drone incidents in Denmark and Norway, which disrupted airport operations and raised fears of coordinated hybrid attacks.

According to Le Parisien and The Maritime Executive, investigators are exploring whether the Boracay could have acted as a “launch platform” for reconnaissance drones or served as “bait” to test European maritime responses.

While President Emmanuel Macron has called for “extreme caution” regarding such claims, French officials confirmed that the tanker’s actions near sensitive maritime zones were “highly irregular.”

“This crew committed very serious violations, which are grounds for initiating a criminal case,” Macron said during a visit to Saint-Nazaire, referring to the ongoing investigation led by the Maritime Gendarmerie.

Europe Tightens Grip on Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”

The Boracay case comes amid a broader European effort to crack down on Russia’s covert shipping network—the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to export oil in violation of G7 and EU sanctions.

This opaque system relies on ships that operate with obscured ownership, falsified documentation, and deactivated transponders. They often switch flags and names to disguise routes and insurance coverage, creating massive environmental and security risks.

According to Reuters and Bloomberg, over 600 vessels worldwide are now suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet, enabling Moscow to sell oil to countries such as China and India despite Western restrictions.

The European Union’s 19th sanctions package, presented by Ursula von der Leyen, includes measures targeting the use of such vessels, as well as restrictions on ports and refueling services for tankers violating maritime safety or flag requirements.

Suspected Links to Drone Invasion in Denmark

The timing of the Boracay’s appearance near France—just days after a wave of unidentified drones forced airports in Copenhagen and Oslo to suspend operations—has not gone unnoticed by European intelligence agencies.

Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that Russia was “testing the limits of NATO’s patience,” pointing to the recent airspace violations over Poland and Estonia as part of a coordinated campaign to intimidate neighboring countries.

The Boracay’s route through Danish territorial waters shortly before those incidents now appears to be under special scrutiny by both French and Danish authorities, who are investigating possible communications between the vessel and drone operators.

Trial Symbolizes a Shift in Europe’s Posture

The decision to prosecute the Boracay’s captain marks a symbolic turning point in Europe’s handling of maritime violations linked to Russia. For the first time, France is treating such incidents not merely as regulatory breaches, but as potential elements of state-backed hybrid warfare.

If the investigation confirms even indirect coordination with Russian networks, the case could serve as a legal precedent for prosecuting foreign crews and companies enabling Moscow’s sanctions evasion.

For now, the Boracay remains anchored off Saint-Nazaire under tight naval supervision—a visible reminder that Europe’s confrontation with Russia has extended beyond the battlefield to the world’s trade and energy routes.