/Reuters Agency
The Boracay, an oil tanker under Western sanctions on suspicion of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and also facing a separate investigation by French authorities, has sailed from its anchorage off the west coast of France, according to MarineTraffic data.
It was unclear why the vessel was allowed to depart, heading southwest through the Bay of Biscay at cruising speed on the morning of Friday, October 3, after having been raided by French Navy commandos during the weekend.
Neither the local French maritime authorities nor the Brest prosecutor’s office, which has been investigating the Benin-flagged ship over its nationality, responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Before its detention, the Boracay was destined for the Port of Vadinar in India, home to a Nayara Energy refinery. Reuters was unable to confirm if that was indeed its heading.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday the 2nd that the vessel was detained as part of a European strategy to combat oil revenues funding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
In an attempt to evade Western sanctions, Russia has increasingly resorted to using older vessels, known as the “shadow fleet,” to transport its oil and gas.
Macron also noted that it was unclear whether the vessel was involved in drone incursions in Denmark last week, which led to the closure of Danish airports near the route the ship had been sailing from the Baltic to the North Sea.
