French Navy boards EU-sanctioned tanker DF Peak south of Réunion

The French Navy has boarded the oil tanker DF Peak in the Indian Ocean, more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday. According to Euronews, Macron said the ship was suspected of sailing under a false flag and of illicit fuel trafficking, and that France was "determined to combat the 'shadow fleet' wherever it may be in the world". AFP reports that the tanker flies a Benin flag, is on the EU sanctions list and was called Kaliningrad until 2024. Ukrainian military intelligence says the 2006-built vessel carries Russian crude and is linked to Sovcomflot. French forces are escorting it for further checks under the authority of Réunion's prefect, Euronews says.

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