France charges Chinese tanker captain linked to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ amid sanctions row

Western governments have accused Moscow of using a vast “shadow fleet” to disguise oil exports and undermine EU sanctions imposed following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

President Emmanuel Macron recently estimated that Russia has between 600 and 1,000 tankers operating in this way.

The Boracay itself was detained earlier this year in Estonia for sailing without a valid flag. It set off from the Russian port of Primorsk near St Petersburg on 20 September and was reportedly heading to Vadinar in north-western India, with arrival scheduled for 20 October.

Complicating the case, the tanker was near Denmark last week when unidentified drones forced several airports to shut temporarily. Danish authorities have not linked the incident directly to the Boracay, and there is no evidence yet of Russian involvement.

Poland, Estonia and Romania have also reported airspace violations by drones or fighter jets in recent weeks, further raising regional security concerns.

Macron, speaking at an EU security summit in Copenhagen, declined to comment on whether the Boracay had played any role in the Danish drone incident.

For now, the tanker remains anchored near Saint-Nazaire as French authorities continue their investigation — a move likely to deepen the standoff between Paris and Moscow.