Listen: France seizes Russian-linked tanker as unidentified drones appear over Germany

The French authorities have detained two crew members of a Russian-linked oil tanker suspected of belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet”. The vessel is also thought to be involved in recent Russian drone activity, while Germany has reported sightings of unidentified drones over critical infrastructure. So, where does this leave Europe?

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The French authorities have detained two crew members of a Russian-linked oil tanker suspected of belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet,” the vessel is thought to be involved in recent Russian drone activity, while Germany has reported sightings of unidentified drones over critical infrastructure. So, where does this leave Europe?

The French navy intercepted and boarded the tanker, the Boracay, off the coast of western France suspecting it as one of the ships that Russian drones were flown by.The local prosecutor in Brest confirmed that the two men, who introduced themselves as the captain and first mate, were arrested after failing to prove the ship’s nationality and refusing to cooperate with French officials. The vessel is currently anchored near Saint-Nazaire while investigations continue.

The Boracay, which sails under a Benin flag, had recently changed its name from Pushpa. It was travelling from the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk, near Saint Petersburg, to Vadinar in India, carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil. French president Emmanuel Macron described the investigation as a “very important operation.”

The ship was tracked, in late September, in the seas around Denmark at the same time as unexplained drone sightings forced temporary airport closures in Copenhagen and Aalborg.

Danish officials believe the drones were launched from ships in the area, though no clear link to these vessels has been established. The drones, likely larger fixed-wing types, can be launched from catapults carried on large ships.

At the same time, German officials reported drone incursions in the north over sightings like a power plant in Kiel, a shipyard, and a university hospital. Authorities there are still investigating, and while some incidents may be provocations, Germany, like Denmark, has not identified a definitive source.

Now, These incidents highlight three things. First, Russia’s shadow fleet is not just about oil exports and sanction evasion. The movement of such ships also raises questions about security and surveillance in European waters.

Second, the drone incursions in Denmark and Germany expose vulnerabilities in civilian and military infrastructure and Nato countries were put on alert, but  without a lot of action being taken.

And third, this is happening as EU leaders gathered in Copenhagen, where discussions were dominated by both the drone incidents and the wider question of Europe’s security posture. The arrests in France add to the sense that Europe is facing coordinated pressure on multiple fronts.

What’s next?

For now, French prosecutors are pursuing charges against the detained crew for refusing to comply with orders and failing to prove their vessel’s nationality.

In Denmark and Germany, inquiries into the recent drone sightings continue, with investigators examining whether ships in the Baltic Sea could have been used as launch platforms. For now Europe is treating the shadow fleet and the drone incidents as part of the same security challenge. The next steps will depend on how much evidence investigators can gather and how far European governments are willing to go in countering these threats.