French Court Sets Trial Date for Chinese Captain of Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker
A French court has scheduled an early next year trial for the Chinese captain of a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” after it was intercepted off the coast of France. The Boracay, a Benin-flagged vessel blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” of ageing oil tankers, was stopped by French authorities on Saturday.
According to a military source who asked not to be named, the tanker was positioned off Denmark during mysterious drone flights over the country last month, including over military sites, that prompted brief closures at several airports. The incident has raised concerns about the potential use of these vessels to circumvent international sanctions against Russia.
Macron Urges Europe to Increase Pressure on Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to “increase the pressure” on Russia’s shadow fleet and follow his country’s lead in detaining vessels used to fuel Moscow’s war in Ukraine. “You kill the business model by detaining, even for days or weeks, these vessels and forcing them to organise themselves differently,” Macron told a leaders’ gathering in Denmark.
Macron said on Wednesday that France was probing the ship for “serious offences”, but stopped short of confirming reports of a connection to the Denmark drone flights. The incident has sparked concerns about the potential use of these vessels to circumvent international sanctions against Russia and has raised questions about the effectiveness of current measures to prevent such activities.
Investigation into Possible Connection to Drone Flights
French authorities are investigating whether the intercepted tanker, Boracay, is connected to mysterious drone flights over Denmark last month. The investigation into the possible connection between the tanker and the drone flights is ongoing, and no further information has been released at this time.
Original Article: Chinese captain of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker to face trial in France — Scmp