French navy boards Russian 'shadow fleet' ship in Indian Ocean
The ship, the DF Peak, flies a Benin flag and is on the European Union's sanctions list.
On October 12, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France's navy had seized an oil tanker called DF Peak, which belongs to the "shadow fleet," in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was intercepted more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion Island. Authorities suspect the tanker was flying a false flag and transporting fuel illegally.
According to Marinetraffic data, the tanker was sailing under a Benin flag and was headed to the port of Cruz Grande in Chile. The origins of the vessel are unclear, as it was not known where it had sailed from. The tanker was built in 2006 and originally belonged to the company Sovcomflot, but its name has changed over the years.
Its current operator is based in Hong Kong. Benin's national registry, whose flag the tanker flies, has been associated with Russia-linked shadow fleet vessels in the past. The U.S. and the European Union have imposed sanctions on the tanker. France has detained tankers associated with the "shadow fleet" multiple times since the beginning of 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
