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Russian shadow tanker arrived off Réunion
The 'DF Peak', suspected of belonging to the Russian ghost fleet and seized by the French Navy, has arrived in Réunion early on Oct 15, and dropped anchor in pos. 20° 54' S 055° 21' E in the Bay of La Possession, three days after the French Navy had boarded the vessel nearly 500 nautical miles south of the island. The "DF Peak" was suspected of flying a false flag. The onboard inspection and examination of the documents confirmed the irregularity of the flag being flown. The tanker, which was named 'Kaliningrad' until June 2024 and was among more than 700 ships sanctioned by the European Union, was escorted by the French Navy to Réunion Island. The 21 crew members were detained for 48 hours. The captain was taken into custody on Oct 15 at 7.55 a.m. in Réunion to provide proof of his ship's nationality during a maritime inspection. He refused to reveal the true nationality of his vessel. The penalties could be two years' imprisonment and a €300,000 fine, in addition to the possible confiscation of the vessel. The restrictions and deprivation of liberty affecting the 20 other crew members of Indonesian, Burmese, and Chinese nationalities, ended with the captain's detention. However, they had to remain on board the immobilised vessel, subject to the applicable administrative measures. Reports with photos and video: https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/la-reunion-arrivee-du-petrolier-soupconne-d-appartenir-a-la-flotte-fantome-russe-1748295.html https://imazpress.com/faits-divers/la-possession-34
French Navy boarded sanctioned Russian shadow tanker
On Oct 12, 2026, the French military has boarded the 'DF Peak' on the Indian Ocean, about 450 nautical miles to the south of the department of Réunion, in perhaps the most remote, far-removed interdiction of a Russia-linked tanker since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb 2022, using a French Navy AS365 Dauphin N3 helicopter operated by Flottille 34F, from one of the Floréal-class frigates based at Port-des-Galets naval base in Réunion under the Armed Forces in the South Indian Ocean Zone (FAZSOI). The boarding was executed under the framework of Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which grants warships the right of visit on the high seas under suspicion of statelessness or fraudulent flagging. The 'DF Peak' was now under escort and being furthter inspected. While the vessel was far outside of French territorial seas, the legal authority for command of the boarding fell under the regional prefect of Réunion. The ship was suspected of flying a false flag and conducting illicit fuel transportation activities. The action was carried out in accordance with international maritime law, demonstrating the determination to uphold the rule of law and combat all illicit trafficking, wherever it occurs. The prosecutor’s office in the French city of Saint-Denis on the island of Réunion has launched an investigation into the captain of the 'DF Peak'. The investigation concerned the inability to confirm the vessel’s nationality during the inspection. The offense with which the captain was charged, carries a sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine of €300,000. The vessel may also be confiscated. “The investigation, in particular, aims to establish the vessel’s operating conditions and identify its owner and operator, who may also face criminal charges,” noted the prosecutor from Saint-Denis. 21 crew members of various nationalities remained on board. Restrictive measures and detention have been imposed on them for an initial period of 48 hours, which a judge may extend. The tanker served in the state-owned Sovcomflot fleet as 'NS Captain' until 2024, when it was renamed 'Kaliningrad', taking its current name in 2025. The ship was part of the SCF-linked, Dubai-based Sun Ship fleet in early 2022, and was managed by a company in Hong Kong. It was falsely flagged in Benin, a national register once known as a haven for the Russia-linked shadow fleet. Benin has taken steps to deregister noncompliant tonnage and push back against the fraudulent, unauthorised use of its flag, a persistent pattern for sanctioned vessels. The vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2024, then subsequently by the EU, Switzerland, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has also sanctioned one of the vessel's former captains. Report with photos: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/10/french-navy-intercepts-and-boards-shadow-fleet-tanker-df-peak-south-of-reunion/
14 Sovcomflot tankers pinned by USA
The USA have pinned 14 of Sovcomflot's tankers, the 'Anatoly Kolodkin', NS Antarctic', 'NS Lion', 'Ns Consul', 'Ns Burgas', Ns Captain' 'NS Columbus', 'Sakhalin Island', 'Nevskiy Prospect', 'Georgy Maslov', 'Liteyny Prospect', 'Krymsk' 'Ns Creation' and 'Ns Bravo', giving the Russian shipping company 45 days to unload oil and other cargo. The company was prosecuted for violating the crude price cap in force since December 2022. This battalion of clandestine ships, owned by companies with opaque ownership to conceal illicit operations, has been in the crosshairs of the Western coalition for many months with widely documented practices such as STS oil transfer operations and deactivation of AIS, with the fleet constantly expanding. The Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Treasury (OFAC) has designated the 14 tankers in which Sovcomflot has an interest, and in particular 12 of the 75 vessels operated by the Oil Tankers SCF Management FZCO, a company which had to inherit part of of the SCF fleet when the latter was forced to sell or disperse to companies abroad following international sanctions. The first inclusion of SCF on the international sanctions list (United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc.) dates back to 2022 and concerned financial transactions involving long-term debt or new shares. The company has 45 days to unload oil and other cargo, but OFAC has not banned transactions for its other tankers and has even made it clear to oil traders that they can continue to use the large majority of the Russian carrier's fleet without repercussions, which claims 147 ships. Capping the price of oil, which consists of applying a discount per barrel of crude compared to the market price but without harming the stability of international markets, aims to limit the resources that Russia earns from the sale of hydrocarbons. Russia sold its oil in January at a discount of $19 per barrel compared to Brent (international benchmark) compared to $12 to $13 per barrel in October. With a barrel at this price, Russia therefore received 75% of the oil revenue it should have received, or 25% less. At the same time, Russian military spending has increased by 60%, leading many observers to say that the system is ineffective, due to a lack of monitoring and control means. 196 tankers, identified as belonging to the clandestine fleet, had left Russian ports in December 2023. Five new shipping companies based in the United Arab Emirates have started to transport Russian crude since November 2023. The US Treasury has sanctioned 27 oil companies for violating the price cap since October, when the cap was implemented.
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