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France Hands Captain of Suspected Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker One-Year Jail Sentence
- On Monday, March 30, 2026, a French court in Brest sentenced Chinese captain Chen Zhangjie, 39, to one year in prison for "failing to comply with orders" when the French navy intercepted his vessel, the Boracay, in September.
- Investigators suspect the Boracay is part of a Russian "shadow fleet" used to transport oil in violation of Western sanctions imposed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union has blacklisted 598 vessels suspected of participating in such operations.
- French navy officials discovered two employees of a Russian private security company on board during the September seizure, allegedly tasked with representing Russian interests and gathering intelligence. This detail underscores the operation's suspected scope.
- The court imposed a €150,000 fine on Chen, though his lawyer, Henri de Richemont, called the ruling "absolutely incomprehensible" and disputed the court's authority over international waters.
- Now operating as The Phoenix and located in the Strait of Malacca, the vessel remains linked to European security concerns including unexplained drone flights over Denmark last year and ongoing maritime sanctions enforcement efforts.
26 Articles
26 Articles
France convicts Chinese captain of oil tanker linked to Russian shadow fleet
A French court on Monday issued an arrest warrant and a one-year prison sentence against the Chinese captain of a suspected Russian “shadow fleet” tanker over failing to comply with orders to stop his ship. Chen Zhangjie, 39, was sentenced in absentia after the French navy boarded the Boracay tanker in September before releasing the vessel and its crew days later, in what Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned as “piracy”. The court in the west…
A court in France has imposed a prison and fine on the captain of a Russian shadow fleet tanker. Possibly, drones also rose from his ship towards Denmark.
French Court Sentences Russia-Linked Tanker Captain to 1 Year in Jail
A French court Monday issued an arrest warrant and a one-year jail sentence against the Chinese captain of a suspected Russian "shadow fleet" tanker over failing to comply with orders to stop his ship.
France hands captain of suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker one-year jail sentence
A French court on Monday sentenced in absentia the captain of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker to one year in jail for failing to comply with orders to stop his ship. The vessel, which the French…
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- 47% of the sources lean Left, 46% of the sources are Center
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