PARIS (AP) — A French prosecutor has announced the detention of two crew members from an oil tanker that is immobilized off the Atlantic coast, which President Emmanuel Macron has linked to Russia. The crew members, who are claiming to be the ship's captain and chief mate, have been in custody since at least Wednesday as investigations proceed into their refusal to cooperate and their inability to justify the nationality of the vessel.
Macron has indicated that the tanker, known as "Pushpa" or "Boracay," and which has undergone several name changes, is a part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet. This fleet consists of aging tankers that evade Western sanctions related to Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. According to Macron, this situation underscores serious violations linked to Russia's operations in the region.
Stéphane Kellenberger, the prosecutor from the port city of Brest, stated on Thursday that a preliminary investigation was initiated after the Atlantic Maritime Prefect alerted judicial authorities on Monday. The French naval forces boarded the tanker a few days ago at the behest of prosecutors who suspected potential illegal activities. Following the boarding, the ship was ordered to remain in its location pending further inquiry.
The vessel had sailed from the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk near St. Petersburg on September 20. It was subsequently spotted off the coast of Denmark and has remained offshore near the French city of Saint-Nazaire since Sunday, according to data from the Marine Traffic monitoring website.
European naval experts have mentioned that the tanker might be connected to drone flights over Denmark, raising further suspicions regarding its operations. Macron highlighted these developments after attending a European Union leaders summit in Copenhagen, where he emphasized the "notorious shadow fleet" that Russia employs to circumvent sanctions.
The shadow fleet is described as comprising used, aged tankers that are often acquired by opaque entities, registered under flags from countries that are not enforcing sanctions. Their primary role is to assist Russian oil exporters in bypassing the price cap imposed by Ukraine's allies during the ongoing conflict.
The inquiries regarding the crew's actions and the ship's status indicate a deeper investigation into how vessels within Russia’s shadow fleet operate and the implications for international sanctions compliance. The situation continues to unfold as authorities work to establish a clearer picture of the vessel's activities and ownership.
