France arrests two from Russia's 'shadow fleet'

PARIS: French police have arrested the captain and first officer of a sanctioned tanker suspected of operating for Russia's " shadow fleet", after the navy boarded the vessel, authorities said on Thursday.

"Thanks to our Navy commandos and to the crews of the French Navy who intervened this weekend on board a Russian shadow fleet tanker, currently anchored off Saint-Nazaire," Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X. "Their action contributed to the arrest of two members of its crew."

Brest Prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger, whose office is handling the investigation, said in a statement the two people in custody had identified themselves as the ship's captain and its first officer. They are accused of failing to provide proof of the vessel's nationality and failing to comply with orders, he said.

Although President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the probe, estimating that Russia's "shadow fleet" contains 600 to 1,000 ships, French authorities have been tight-lipped about the investigation.