French Authorities Detain Oil Tanker Linked to Russia’s Shadow Fleet
The captain of an oil tanker that authorities in France have detained off the country’s Atlantic coast will go on trial in February over the crew’s alleged refusal to cooperate, a French prosecutor said Thursday.
Macron has alleged that the tanker belongs to Russia‘s so-called shadow fleet of aging tankers of uncertain ownership that are avoiding Western sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The ship was detained by the French navy after it appeared to be flying no flag and was heading from Russia to India with a large oil shipment, according to a preliminary investigation.
Trial Date Set for Captain of Detained Tanker
The captain was summoned for trial in Brest on Feb. 23 and faces up to one year in prison and a 150,000 euro ($176,000) fine. Two Chinese crew members, the captain and the chief mate, who had been detained since Tuesday, were released from police custody.
A preliminary investigation was opened into the crew’s “refusal to cooperate” and “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” after the Atlantic Maritime Prefect alerted justice authorities Monday. The inquiry showed that the captain couldn’t be directly considered responsible for the second offense, according to Stéphane Kellenberger, prosecutor of the western port city of Brest.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Denounces Tanker’s Detention
Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the tanker’s detention as an act of piracy and alleged that Macron had initiated the move for domestic policy reasons. Putin emphasized that “there was no reason whatsoever for seizing the tanker in neutral waters” and warned that such action could provoke confrontation.
“It’s piracy, and how do you deal with pirates?” Putin said. “You destroy them. It doesn’t mean that tomorrow a war will erupt all across the global ocean, but certainly the risk of confrontation will seriously increase.”
Macron Warns of Consequences for Russia’s Shadow Fleet
Speaking at a European summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, Macron warned that the French navy faced “inappropriate and extremely aggressive behavior” towards the French frigate and helicopters that had been deployed to board the tanker. He also emphasized the importance of increasing pressure on Russia‘s shadow fleet, which he said represents more than 30 billion euros in revenue.
“It represents more than 30 billion euros. So it’s extremely important to increase the pressure on this shadow fleet, because it will clearly reduce the capacity to finance this war effort for Russia,” Macron said.
French Navy Boarded Tanker After Discrepancy in Nationality
An investigation led by the French navy concluded that the ship was flying no flag and was heading from Russia to India with a large oil shipment. The French military spokesman Col. Guillaume Vernet said that the ship was ordered to stay in place in a safe area.
In comments earlier Thursday in Copenhagen, Macron praised the work of the French navy to “identify the presence of a shadow fleet.”
Original Article: Captain of oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet will face trial in France — Associated Press