French Soldiers Board Russian Tanker Linked to Drone Incursions
French soldiers boarded a tanker suspected of being involved in recent drone flights over Denmark and arrested two of its crew members. The 800ft tanker, docked off the coast of France, had been sailing close to Denmark when unidentified and unmanned aircraft forced the temporary closure of several airports last week.
The ship was ordered to stay in place pending further investigation after French naval forces first forcibly boarded the vessel a few days ago at the request of prosecutors who suspected wrongdoing. A military official said on Wednesday that the ship was provided with food and fuel by French naval forces, which had been monitoring the situation.
EU Blacklists Russian Tanker as Part of Sanction-Busting “Shadow Fleet”
The Benin-flagged vessel has been blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. The ship, variously named the Boracay, the Pushpa or the Kiwala, left Russia last month and has been anchored near the western port of Saint Nazaire for several days.
Macron Investigates Tanker for “Serious Offences”
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he was investigating the tanker for what he termed “serious offences”. The same day, Germany said it was investigating Russia’s involvement in a mysterious swarm of drones that spied on critical infrastructure. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Denmark Condemns Drone Incursions as “Most Serious Attack”
Denmark condemned the incursions as a “most serious attack” on its critical infrastructure after they disrupted air traffic and forced Copenhagen airport to shut down. Russia has denied involvement, but Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that her country is facing problems with the shadow fleet, especially in the Baltic Sea.
Shadow Fleet Represents Tens of Billions for Russia’s Budget
The French president highlighted the existence and reality of a phenomenon that his government has been describing and denouncing for a long time. He noted that the collective assessment was that Russia’s notorious shadow fleet contains 600 to 1,000 ships, which represents tens of billions of euros for Russia’s budget and finances an estimated 40 per cent of its war effort.
The vessel was seized by French naval forces after it refused to comply with orders to stop and failed to provide proof of the vessel’s nationality. The crew had been suspected of wrongdoing, and the ship has been blacklisted by the European Union as part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” of oil tankers.
Original Article: French soldiers board Russian tanker linked to drone incursions — Co