France detains Russian shadow' tanker to disrupt war in Ukraine

"France has said it is increasing pressure on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine by detaining an oil tanker suspected of operating as part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet and putting its captain on trial. France's detention of the tanker is part of a new European strategy to block revenue funding Moscow's war effort in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said at an EU event in Copenhagen on Thursday."

"We want to increase pressure on Russia to convince it to return to the negotiating table, Macron said. We have now decided to take a step further by moving towards a policy of obstruction when we have suspicious ships in our waters that are involved in this trafficking. The tanker, called the Boracay, was sailing last week off the coast of Denmark and was cited by European naval experts as possibly being involved in drone flights over the country."

"French Navy commandos raided the Boracay on Saturday off western France. An investigation led by the French navy concluded that the ship, coming from Russia and heading to India with a large oil shipment, was flying no flag, Stephane Kellenberger, prosecutor of the western port city of Brest, said. The United Nations has detailed rules governing how ships must fly flags at sea and identify themselves under the flag of the state granting them nationality."

France detained the oil tanker Boracay and arrested its captain after French Navy commandos raided the vessel off western France. Authorities said the ship arrived from Russia and was heading to India with a large oil cargo while flying no flag. The action forms part of a European strategy to obstruct vessels suspected of forming Russia's shadow fleet and block revenues funding Moscow's war in Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron linked the detention to efforts to increase pressure on Russia and noted suspicions that the vessel may be connected to recent drone incidents in Denmark, though proof was lacking. The captain, a Chinese national, faces trial in February.

Read at www.aljazeera.com