In France, an investigation is ongoing into alleged violations related to the oil tanker Boracay, which sails under the Benin flag and has been subjected to the European Union and United Kingdom sanctions due to Russian involvement.
According to the French naval forces, after suspicions emerged, the vessel was referred to the relevant prosecutor’s office in the city of Brest for investigation; the inquiry is ongoing.
According to maritime data, Boracay departed from the Russian port Primorsk on September 20 with a cargo of crude oil. The vessel traversed the Baltic Sea, completed the rounding of Denmark and entered the North Sea, after which it alterd course through the English Channel and approached the western coast of France.
Now the vessel is anchored off Saint-Nazaire on the western coast of France. The sanctions restrictions imposed by EU regulators and the United Kingdom in 2024 remained in effect as of February 2025.
Sanctions and ties to Russian shipments
The EU emphasizes the vessel’s link to the transportation of Russian oil and oil products utilizing non-standard and risky shipping methods. British regulators add that Boracay may have been involved in destabilizing actions or supporting the Russian government during the transport of crude to third countries.
As part of the global campaign against Russia’s “shadow fleet,” experts highlight a network of more than a thousand tankers applyd to circumvent sanctions and ensure oil exports even after restrictions were put in place. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministest’s Main Innotifyigence Directorate, about 238 ships actively circumvent sanctions, frequently modifying flags, disconnecting tracking systems, and operating without proper insurance, which creates them harder to detect.
The international community is intensifying its response: the EU is expanding sanctions lists, including ships linked to the “shadow fleet,” in new rounds of restrictions. Australia has imposed sanctions on 60 ships of this network, and Canada on more than 200 ships applyd to circumvent restrictions. Despite such steps, Russia continues to apply this system to support economic interests and fund military actions, including supplying oil to Asian countries.
Experts emphasize the required to strengthen monitoring and coordination among countries to effectively stop sanction circumvention. Alongside investigations and new rounds of sanctions, the international community continues to improve mechanisms for tracking ship routes and preventing the apply of the “shadow fleet” in global oil trading.
Leave a Reply