France’s military seized a tanker believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which is evading Western sanctions. Moscow criticized this action as “piracy.” The tanker, named DF Peak and previously called Kaliningrad, is the fifth Russian-linked vessel seized by France since 2024. French officials had suspicions about the tanker’s registration, prompting an inspection. Following this, the ship was directed to Reunion Island for further examination.
Meanwhile, the US has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian diesel due to the Middle East conflict impacting oil supplies and raising prices. Europe has intensified its efforts against vessels using false registration to transport Russian oil, even boarding them at sea. Russia’s embassy in France denounced the seizure of the DF Peak as a blatant violation of international law and expressed concern over the crew’s nationality, noting that France did not inform Russia about the capture.
President Emmanuel Macron stated that France is committed to fighting the shadow fleet globally, saying the tanker was involved in illegal fuel transport. The DF Peak was partially loaded and had been spotted near Madagascar shortly before the seizure, having used various flags to hide its real ownership and cargo.
With information from Reuters
