The French military boarded a ship suspected of operating for Russia's “shadow fleet” and arrested the captain and first officer, authorities said.
Brest Prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger, whose office is in charge of the matter, said the two people apprehended identified themselves as the captain and first officer of the vessel, Reuters reported . They did not give proof of the vessel's nationality or follow orders, and the length of their detention has extended, he said.
The “Boracay” or “Pushpa,” whose name has changed multiple times, was operating under Benin's and fell under European Union sanctions targeting Russia, according to CBS News. The ship departed Primorsk, a Russian oil terminal, on Sept. 20, sailed along Denmark's coast and has held position off the western French port Saint-Nazaire since Sunday, according to data from Marine Traffic.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member