Boracay oil tanker resumes voyage after French detention
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The Boracay oil tanker was previously seized by French authorities over alleged ties to Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
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The tanker Boracay is seen, on October 2, 2025, off Saint-Nazaire, France's Atlantic coast (AP)
The Boracay oil tanker, previously detained by French authorities near Saint-Nazaire in western France, has reportedly resumed its journey toward the Suez Canal, AFP and Reuters reported on Friday. The vessel had been the subject of scrutiny by French authorities, who claimed it was part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and subject to United Kingdom and European Union sanctions.
Putin denounces detention as 'piracy'
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the detention of the tanker, describing the operation as an act of “piracy".
Speaking at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin stated that the vessel had been seized in international waters without justification.
“This is piracy. Apparently, they were searching for some kind of military cargo, drones—none of those things have been there and could have been there,” Putin said.
The Russian president emphasized that the tanker, which was flying the flag of a third country, had no confirmed connection to Russia. He also suggested that the seizure served domestic political purposes for France.
Read more: Russia's fleet expands in defiance of Western sanctions
Russian Foreign Ministry accuses EU of interference
Following the incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the European Union of interfering with international shipping. She criticized the EU for creating obstacles to free navigation and turning peaceful waters into “zones of confrontation.”
Zakharova dismissed the notion of a “shadow fleet” as a construct of sanctions rhetoric, adding that the detention of the Boracay and its crew was being used by French authorities to distract the public from internal economic and social challenges.
Read more: Belgium raises legal hurdles to EU’s use of frozen Russian assets
Boracay tanker
The Boracay, previously known as Pushpa, is a crude oil tanker built in 2007. It had been blacklisted by multiple Western countries, including the EU, UK, Canada, Switzerland, and New Zealand, for its alleged involvement in sanctions evasion targeting Russia. French authorities detained two crew members during the earlier operation, citing unspecified violations.
The incident marks the latest in a series of European efforts to monitor and disrupt vessels allegedly linked to Russian maritime operations, amid growing tensions over sanctions implementation and unidentified drone sightings across the EU.
Read more: Drone sightings force Munich airport shutdown as fears spread in EU
