One year prison sentence for Russian tanker captain detained off Brittany for refusal to comply

Chen Zhangjie, captain of the Russian tanker Boracay (renamed Phoenix), was sentenced on 30 March 2026 by the Brest criminal court to one year in prison and fined 150,000 euros for refusing to comply with the French Navy during a September 2025 operation off Brittany, France. The 244-meter tanker, carrying Russian oil to India under a false Beninese flag and sailing without visible flag, was intercepted in international waters near Ouessant Island. The captain's refusal to cooperate caused the French military to execute a risky maneuver. An arrest warrant was issued for the 39-year-old Chinese national. The vessel also had onboard two Russian private security agents collecting intelligence. The ship was suspected in drone overflights disrupting Danish air traffic, although that investigation does not concern French justice. The captain's defense argued jurisdiction lay with China per the Montego Bay Convention since the incident occurred in international waters.