France seizes Russian shadow fleet tanker in Indian Ocean, vows to combat illicit oil trade “wherever it may be in the world”
The French Navy intercepted the DF Peak in the Indian Ocean over suspicions it was sailing under a false flag. Russia relies on shadow fleet tankers to keep oil revenues flowing despite Western sanctions.
On October 12, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that French forces had intercepted and seized an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet. The DF Peak, previously known as Kaliningrad and registered under Benin, was intercepted more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion. The French Navy boarded the vessel, suspecting it was sailing under a false flag and involved in illegal fuel transportation, as Macron stated.
The seizure targets a network Russia relies on to maintain oil revenues despite Western sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia's embassy in France condemned the operation, calling it a violation of international law and piracy, stating that France had not been notified. The French Navy will take the tanker to Réunion for further examination and judicial investigation.
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