Russian ‘Ghost Tanker’ Suspected of Involvement in Drone Incursions
Paris, Oct 1 (AFP) – A tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” has been tracked sailing off the Danish coast last month just as mysterious drone flights disrupted Denmark’s air traffic. The ship is suspected of being involved in these incursions, which Denmark has called the “most serious attack” on its critical infrastructure to date.
The Benin-flagged vessel, named variously the Boracay, the Pushpa or the Kiwala, had spent several days off the French coast before French forces boarded it and two crew members were taken into custody, officials said. The ship’s movements have been tracked by maritime website VesselFinder, which shows that from September 14 until September 20, it was located off the coast of Russia, before crossing the Baltic Sea to the west.
Shadow Fleet Operations
The 244-metre-long (800-foot) tanker left India in early August and remained moored off the Russian village of Ust-Luga until September 18. It then departed for the Russian port of Primorsk near Saint Petersburg, on the other side of the Gulf of Finland, where it remained at the oil terminal for around 10 hours before heading west again.
Drone Flyover Begins
The drones began flying over Denmark on September 22, coinciding with the tanker’s presence off the coast of Poland and Sweden. On September 23, at around 0300 GMT, it was spotted off the Danish island of Lolland, before sailing towards the Great Belt Strait, which runs along mainland Denmark.
Heading South?
By September 25, it was located some 160 kilometres (99 miles) west of Denmark. By 1235 GMT that day it was steaming towards the English Channel, heading for the Atlantic to continue its journey southward. Then, on September 28 at 0000 GMT, it changed course completely.
Boarded in France
It headed for the French coast, but once it was in French waters, the navy reported that the crew had failed to provide evidence of the nationality of the vessel and to cooperate with authorities, and a court probe was launched. On Saturday, French soldiers boarded the tanker, a military source told AFP. They were still on board, patrolling the deck on Wednesday.
Data from the Marine Traffic tracker shows that the tanker is scheduled to arrive in Vadinar in northwestern India on October 20. Specialist website The Maritime Executive said it and other ships could have been involved in the drone incursion, either as launch platforms or as decoys.
Original Article: Mapping the movements of a suspected Russian ‘ghost tanker’ — Spacewar