France has intercepted and boarded an oil tanker suspected of involvement in illegal fuel trafficking in the Indian Ocean, with Ukrainian intelligence linking the vessel to the transportation of Russian crude oil.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the operation on Monday, saying the French navy boarded the DF Peak about 450 nautical miles south of Réunion island.
“Our French Navy boarded the oil tanker DF Peak, which is suspected of sailing under a false flag and of being involved in illicit fuel-trafficking activities,” Macron wrote in a social media post. He also shared video footage that appeared to show military personnel descending onto the vessel by rope.
Macron said France remained “determined to combat the ‘shadow fleet’ wherever it may be in the world”, referring to ships suspected of helping Russia transport oil while avoiding Western sanctions.
Catherine Vautrin, France’s minister for the armed forces, congratulated the personnel involved in the operation. She said the French military was escorting the DF Peak for further checks under the authority of the prefect of Réunion.
Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as the GUR, said the tanker was involved in transporting Russian crude oil and was associated with Sovcomflot, Russia’s state-controlled shipping company.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the vessel was built in 2006 and has operated under multiple flags. The use of different flags can make it more difficult for authorities to establish a ship’s ownership, registration and operational links.
The interception is part of wider European efforts to restrict the activities of vessels suspected of helping Russia maintain its oil exports despite sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s so-called shadow fleet consists of tankers that are suspected of using complex ownership arrangements, flags of convenience and other methods to conceal the origin of their cargo or avoid restrictions on shipping and insurance services.
Western sanctions have limited the ability of Russian oil exporters to access certain shipping, insurance and other maritime services unless they comply with specified conditions. The use of alternative shipping arrangements has allowed some Russian oil shipments to continue reaching international markets.
France has previously intercepted vessels suspected of being connected to Russia’s shadow fleet. In June, Macron announced that French forces had stopped the Russian-linked tanker Deliver off the coast of Sicily, alleging that it was operating in violation of maritime law.
Other European countries have also reported intercepting suspected shadow fleet vessels in recent months as governments seek to enforce sanctions and increase scrutiny of oil shipments linked to Russia.
The DF Peak operation adds to those efforts, although the French authorities have not yet publicly detailed the results of the additional checks being carried out on the tanker.
