PARIS, October 3. /TASS/. The Boracay tanker that was earlier detained by the French authorities has resumed its voyage, according to Marinetraffic, a vessel tracking service.
In addition, AFP reported that the ship’s captain, a Chinese national, is now back on board after receiving a subpoena to appear at a court in Brest in France’s Finistere Department on February 23, 2026. He is charged with disobeying coast guard orders. His first mate who was also detained and released was not summoned to appear in court.
According to the Brest prosecutor’s office, the tanker, which is under European sanctions, was blocked due to the captain’s unclear explanations as to the vessel’s national affiliation and its flag. AFP cited two names associated with the tanker - Pushpa and Boracay - which was sailing under the flag of Benin.
The agency says that the French probe has nothing to do with a drone incident in Denmark that occurred around the same lattitude that the ship was located.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the French authorities’ actions against the tanker were geared to ramp up pressure on Russia's shadow fleet with goal of impairing its ability to finance its military operations in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed France’s detention of the tanker as piracy. According to the Russian leader, the vessel was seized in neutral waters without any justification.