French authorities have launched an investigation into an oil tanker anchored off Saint-Nazaire in western France. The vessel is suspected of being part of Russia\u2019s covert \u201cshadow fleet\u201d and involved in enigmatic drone flights that disrupted Danish airspace in recent days.<\/p>\n
French authorities said Wednesday they were investigating the oil tanker Boracay anchored off the Atlantic Coast and suspected of being part of Russia<\/a>‘s clandestine “shadow fleet”.<\/p>\n The Benin-flagged vessel, built in 2007 and also known as Pushpa, has been anchored off Saint-Nazaire in western France<\/a> for several days.<\/p>\n Moscow is accused of using its clandestine “shadow fleet” of ageing oil tankers to dodge sanctions<\/a> imposed by Western allies over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read moreDenmark drone incursions: All signs point to Russia?<\/a><\/p>\n Several Western countries and the European Union<\/a> have also imposed sanctions against the vessel itself.<\/p>\n The Brest public prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation<\/a> following a report from the French navy.<\/p>\n According to the specialist website The Maritime Executive, the vessel is suspected of being involved in mystery drone flights<\/a> that disrupted air traffic in Denmark<\/a> in September.<\/p>\n The Maritime Executive said that the tanker Boracay and several other vessels could have been used either as launch platforms or as decoys.<\/p>\n A representative of France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture told AFP that it had “recently filed a report with the public prosecutor in Brest” concerning the Boracay, which is “suspected of being in violation of the law”.<\/p>\n “An investigation is underway,” the representative said, declining to release any details.<\/p>\n Brest public prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger told AFP that an investigation had been launched over the crew’s “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” and “refusal to cooperate”.<\/p>\n