French Military Boards Russian ‘Ghost Ship’ Suspected of Launching Drones Across Europe
Off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, French military personnel boarded the Russian tanker “Pushpa,” which has repeatedly changed names and flags and is under international sanctions. The vessel is linked to a “ghost fleet” that finances Russian troops and may be involved in sabotage operations, UNN reports, citing LeParisien.
The Russian tanker arrived off the coast of France on Monday, suspected of belonging to Russia’s “ghost fleet” and having played a role in suspicious drone flights over Denmark in recent days, the publication writes. According to the specialized resource The Maritime Executive, the ship could have served as a “launch pad” for drones or been used as a “decoy.” At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron, commenting on the situation, urged caution regarding these theories.
Investigation Launched into Maritime Offenses
The Brest prosecutor’s office has launched a preliminary investigation due to “failure to provide documents regarding the nationality and flag of the vessel” and “refusal to comply with requirements – the Brest prosecutor told Le Parisien, confirming information from Ouest-France. It was initiated “in connection with maritime offenses reported on September 29, 2025, by the Prefect of the Atlantic Maritime Department, which may concern certain crew members of the vessel,” writes Stéphane Kellenberger. The investigation is being conducted by the research department of the maritime gendarmerie and the Atlantic Maritime Gendarmerie group.
‘Ghost Fleet’ to Circumvent Sanctions
It is believed to be part of Russia’s ghost fleet, a contingent of ships that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting its oil. But Europeans also suspect these ships of participating in Russia’s hybrid warfare, playing a key role in certain destabilization operations, such as sabotaging underwater cables. Or, more recently, drone flight operations.
These ships were acquired second-hand at the beginning of the war in Ukraine by one of Vladimir Putin’s right-hand men, Igor Sechin, a former Soviet military intelligence officer who became CEO of Rosneft, one of Russia’s largest oil companies. According to the Ukrainian analytical center KSE, the deal was worth about $10 billion. This fleet, “according to our estimates, finances 40% of Russia’s military efforts,” Emmanuel Macron also said. According to the French admiral, this fleet will consist of 900 ships.
These outdated, unregistered vessels regularly change owners, sail under flags of convenience, and have no identified crew, allowing them to patrol waters worldwide unnoticed.
Original Article: France detains Russian ‘ghost ship’ from which drones were allegedly launched across Europe – Le Parisien — Unn