French Navy Boards Russia-Linked Tanker in Indian Ocean

Oct. 13, 2026 Armée française - Opérations militaires / X The French navy intercepted and boarded an oil tanker linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Indian Ocean, President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday. The French joint staff said naval inspectors boarded the vessel to verify its nationality after doubts arose over its claimed Benin registration. The operation took place around 450 nautical miles south of Réunion Island, an overseas territory of France. Macron said the ship — the DF Peak — was suspected of sailing under a false flag and being involved in illicit fuel transportation. The vessel is under U.S., EU, U.K. and Ukrainian sanctions. The tanker was being escorted to Réunion for further checks, said armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin. The DF Peak is at least the sixth shadow-fleet tanker French authorities have detained over the past year, according to the exiled outlet The Insider. La France est déterminée à lutter contre la flotte fantôme, partout dans le monde. Ce matin, à plus de 450 nautiques au sud de La Réunion, notre Marine nationale a arraisonné le pétrolier DF Peak, suspecté de naviguer sous un faux pavillon et impliqué dans des activités illicites de transport de carburants. Cette action, conduite conformément au droit international de la mer, témoigne de notre détermination à faire respecter le droit et à lutter contre tous les trafics illicites, où qu’ils se produisent.— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 12, 2026 President Vladimir Putin has previously condemned European seizures of Russia-linked tankers as “piracy and robbery” and threatened retaliation. Built in South Korea in 2006, DF Peak previously operated as the NS Captain and later as the Kaliningrad under Russia’s state shipping giant Sovcomflot. Maritime database records cited by The Insider and Mediazona claim the DF Peak dropped its Russian flag in June 2025 to register under Benin and is currently registered to Hong Kong Ding Feng Shipping. AFP contributed reporting. Read more about: Shadow fleet , Sanctions Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more FT Uncovers Network of Shell Firms Exporting $90Bln in Sanctioned Russian Oil The network was discovered because all of them use the same private email server, the FT said. 2 Min read Tanker Carrying Russian Oil to India U-Turns After U.S. Sanctions Rosneft and Lukoil – Bloomberg The unusual maneuver appears to reflect growing disruption in Russian oil exports following the new restrictions. 1 Min read Russian Shipping Giant Sovcomflot No Longer Profitable Under New Sanctions The state-owned firm posted a net loss of $435 million for January-June 2025 compared with a $324 million profit a year earlier. 2 Min read Britain Links Azerbaijani Traders With Rosneft Ties to Russia’s Shadow Fleet The men allegedly used their ties to Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin to trade more Russian crude in 2024 than any other entity. 2 Min read