Oil Tanker Detained by France Returns to Route: Did Paris Listen to Putin?
(The "Boracay" oil tanker carrying Russian oil leaves the Bay of Biscay.)
An oil tanker carrying Russian oil, subject to EU sanctions, and detained by the French Navy near the Bay of Biscay on September 27, has left its anchoring point and returned to its original route. The departure of the tanker occurred after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a strong statement calling the incident "piracy."
According to Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, the "Boracay" oil tanker left its anchoring point located at the boundary of the French territorial waters in the Bay of Biscay late at night on October 2. This oil tanker, which is carrying up to 115,000 tons of Russian oil, is returning to its original route, with its sailing plan indicating that it is expected to arrive at the Suez Canal on October 14.
(The oil tanker returns to its route.)
The tanker initially departed from the Russian Primorsky Krai, heading for Vadhna, India. On September 27, it was detained by the French Navy as it exited the English Channel. Afterward, the ship went to an anchoring point at the boundary of the French territorial waters in the Bay of Biscay, until it left this time.
The prosecutor in Brest previously stated that an investigation had been launched into the matter, but provided a controversial reason — the crew of the ship could not prove the validity of its registration in Benin (the ship sails under the Benin flag). Meanwhile, the ship's captain, who is a Chinese citizen, was arrested for refusing to comply with the instructions of a French naval arrest team, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
The release of the oil tanker came shortly after Russian President Putin spoke at the Valdai International Discussion Club meeting and made relevant comments.
Putin said, "This is piracy. Yes, I know about this. The ship was unjustly detained at sea. Obviously, they (the French side) were trying to find so-called military supplies, drones, or similar items on the ship, but there are none on board, neither in the past nor in the future. This ship does indeed fly the flag of a third country, and the crew comes from multiple countries."
He pointed out that although he did not explicitly confirm the extent of the connection to Russia, he confirmed the existence of the fact.
Putin further analyzed, "What is the real essence of this? Is it really important for France? The answer is yes. Do you know why? Because the French ruling elite is facing a severe domestic political situation, and they have no other way to divert the attention of the French people from the complex and difficult-to-solve problems at home." He emphasized, "As I said in my speech, they are desperately trying to shift the conflict to the outside, inciting confrontation with other countries - especially with Russia, provoking us to take action, then telling the French people, 'French people, follow me, unite around me, and I will lead you to victory.' Like Napoleon. This is the core purpose of the entire matter."
According to "European Daily News," the cargo on the "Boracay" oil tanker may be worth more than $45 million. Although the oil tanker is under EU and UK sanctions, the sanctions do not grant the right to detain ships in international waters. Previously, despite the firm words from the EU, such measures had not been taken.
There are speculations that France may have tried to verify whether the drone attack on Copenhagen Airport on September 22, which caused the airport to go into paralysis, was related to this oil tanker — at that time, the oil tanker was passing near the Danish coast. Although European media discussed this topic intensively, the French authorities have not yet made any formal accusations.
The detention of an oil tanker carrying Russian oil has become a "self-promotion material" for the French president. Emmanuel Macron supports the investigation, claiming that Russia has a "shadow fleet" consisting of 600 to 1,000 oil tankers, and believes that both the truth behind the Denmark incident needs to be thoroughly investigated, and pressure should be applied to Moscow.
The "Boracay" (formerly known as "Pushpa") is classified as a member of the "shadow fleet" because its ultimate ownership is unclear. From an official perspective, the oil tanker has no connection to Russia, and its owner is registered as Baaj Shipping, a company based in the Seychelles. At the same time, the ISM (International Ship Management Rules) operator of the ship changed in June, and the identity of the new operator has not been disclosed to date. The previous operator was Hong Ze Hu Shipmanagement, a Chinese company.
Some EU countries and the UK have formed an alliance to combat the "shadow fleet" that bypasses their set price caps and transports Russian oil, in order to reduce Russia's revenue. However, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea limits the alliance's ability to act in international waters. In addition, Russia has already taken action in the Gulf of Finland, indicating that it will protect vessels carrying Russian oil.
For example, Estonian border guards and intelligence agencies previously attempted to detain an oil tanker, but abandoned the plan when Russian fighter jets arrived near the oil tanker. Finland, on the other hand, reported that Russian air forces provided escort for oil tankers carrying Russian oil along the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
The background of Russia's protective measures is that in April this year, the "Kiwala" oil tanker was detained by the Estonian military and escorted to Estonian territorial waters. However, in the end, apart from some technical objections, the Estonian side could not make substantial charges against the oil tanker. After the issues were rectified, the oil tanker was allowed to leave. The "Boracay" oil tanker detained by the French Navy this time is the renamed vessel of the "Kiwala" oil tanker.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7556903639562863146/
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