Captain of oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet will face trial in France

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1. France has detained a Russia-linked oil tanker off its Atlantic coast and the captain is scheduled to face trial in Brest in February. French President Emmanuel Macron argued that the tanker is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which helps Moscow bypass sanctions and finance its war in Ukraine. Prosecutors say the captain refused to cooperate and failed to justify the vessel’s nationality. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the detention of the tanker of unknown ownership an act of “piracy,” while Macron has suggested it could also be linked to drone incidents near Denmark. The case raises questions about international law, sanctions enforcement, and the West’s role in addressing Russia’s shadow fleet.

2. The captain is Chinese, and the French already released him. Somehow I get the feeling he will skip that court date…

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