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Macron said the detention of a tanker suspected of operating for Russia’s “shadow fleet” is part of a new European strategy to block revenue funding Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised the possible link between the vessel and the drone incursions but so far lacked proof. (Reuters File Photo)
The French police have arrested the captain, a Chinese national, and first officer of a sanctioned tanker suspecting to be operated for Russia’s “shadow fleet,” after the navy boarded the vessel, authorities said on Thursday.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: “Thanks to our Navy commandos and to the crews of the French Navy who intervened this weekend on board a Russian shadow fleet tanker, currently anchored off Saint-Nazaire. Their action contributed to the arrest of two members of its crew.”
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The identification of the arrested people were confirmed by Brest Prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger, whose office is handling the investigation into the Boracay.
He said that the accused were arrested after they failed to provide proof of the vessel’s nationality and failed to comply with orders.
Reuters quoted President Emmanuel Macron as saying that France’s detention of a tanker suspected of operating for Russia’s “shadow fleet” is part of a new European strategy to block revenue funding Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
He further said that it was yet to be determined whether the vessel was involved in drone incursions in Denmark last week.
Speaking at an EU event in Copenhagen, he emphasised the possible link between the vessel and the drone incursions but so far lacked proof.
“We want to increase pressure on Russia to convince it to return to the negotiating table,” he 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.”
Reuters further quoted him as saying that NATO members would in coming days coalesce around more concrete measures to step up their campaign against Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which he estimated at 800-1,000 vessels.
In response, the Kremlin said that France’s detention of the vessel was “hysteria” that could create problems for global energy transportation routes.
“What if France creates enormous problems for all the routes of international energy sources? What is going to happen?” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “I think it’s all part of this hysteria I mentioned before.”
France
October 03, 2025, 01:17 IST
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