French military boards Russia-linked oil tanker suspected of launching drones
10 hours ago
- #Drone Incursions
- #Shadow Fleet
- #Russia
- French military boarded the oil tanker Boracay, suspected of being part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' and linked to mystery drone flights that closed Danish airports.
- The Boracay, carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil from Russia to India, was intercepted by a French naval vessel and diverted to France for investigation.
- Denmark experienced drone sightings on 22 and 24 September, leading to airport closures, with suspicions pointing to Russia but no definitive evidence.
- Investigations suggest drones may have been launched from ships near Denmark, including the Boracay, Astrol-1, and Oslo Carrier-3, with Russian connections.
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the drone incursions as part of a 'hybrid war' by Russia, prompting discussions on a 'drone wall' defense.
- The Boracay is subject to international sanctions and has a history of changing names and registrations to evade scrutiny.
- Other vessels like Astrol-1 and Oslo Carrier-3 were also in the area during the drone incidents, with Oslo Bulk denying involvement in suspicious activities.
- Russia's shadow fleet uses hard-to-trace vessels to bypass sanctions, with the Boracay previously detained in Estonia over registration issues.