France Investigates Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker Captain After Interception

Key Facts

1French authorities opened a judicial investigation in La Réunion against the captain of the tanker DF Peak for failing to prove the vessel's nationality.

2The Russian Embassy in France described the French Navy's interception of the tanker as a flagrant violation of international law and an act of piracy.

French authorities opened a judicial investigation in La Réunion against the captain of the tanker DF Peak for failing to prove the vessel's nationality. Independent Arabia reported that the French Navy intercepted and diverted the tanker on suspicion of being part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' and using a fraudulent Benin flag to bypass Western sanctions on hydrocarbons.

The Russian Embassy in France described the interception as a flagrant violation of international law and an act of piracy, according to Independent Arabia. The vessel, which was named 'Kaliningrad' until June 2024, is among more than 700 ships under European Union sanctions and is suspected of using deceptive registration practices to evade inspections.