On March 30, 2026, a French court in Brest sentenced the 39-year-old captain of the Russian tanker Boracay, part of Russia's shadow fleet, to one year in prison in absentia and imposed a 150,000 euro fine. The tanker had been temporarily detained off the Breton coast in late September 2025 by French naval forces. The captain was accused of failing to comply with French maritime orders. The Russian shadow fleet consists of tankers and cargo ships used by Russia to circumvent EU sanctions, particularly on oil transport. The Boracay was featured in allegations of drone interference incidents near Denmark, where it was suspected that drones launched from the ship disrupted air traffic in Copenhagen. US intelligence sources reported that two Russians aboard the Boracay worked for a private Russian security firm linked to the military and intelligence services, which surveilled European military installations and monitored the tanker crew. French President Emmanuel Macron cited the case as an example of Western efforts to counter the shadow fleet's business model, while Russian President Vladimir Putin accused France of piracy and threatened retaliation.

On March 30, 2026, a French court in Brest sentenced the 39-year-old captain of the Russian tanker Boracay, part of Russia's shadow fleet, to one year in prison in absentia and imposed a 150,000 euro fine. The tanker had been temporarily detained off the Breton coast in late September 2025 by French naval forces. The captain was accused of failing to comply with French maritime orders. The Russian shadow fleet consists of tankers and cargo ships used by Russia to circumvent EU sanctions, particularly on oil transport. The Boracay was featured in allegations of drone interference incidents near Denmark, where it was suspected that drones launched from the ship disrupted air traffic in Copenhagen. US intelligence sources reported that two Russians aboard the Boracay worked for a private Russian security firm linked to the military and intelligence services, which surveilled European military installations and monitored the tanker crew. French President Emmanuel Macron cited the case as an example of Western efforts to counter the shadow fleet's business model, while Russian President Vladimir Putin accused France of piracy and threatened retaliation.