The tanker Pushpa often changes its name and is also known as Boracay, Kiwala and Varuna.
Photo: Graham Flett / Marine Traffic
From NyHeder by Peter Møller , Frederikke Ingemann , Thomas Østerlin Koch & Astrid Søndberg
A ship, which according to experts could be of interest in the drone saga, is the center of a blacked-out investigation in France after an encounter with a naval vessel.
The authorities in France have started an investigation against the Russian shadow navy ship Pushpa, which moved through Danish waters during both the drone incidents at Copenhagen Airport and at military installations in Jutland.
There is a suspicion of breaking the law on the shipGuillaume Le Rasle, spokesman for the French fleet in the Atlantic
Maritime security under scrutiny in Denmark
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) October 1, 2025
Drone incursions prompt tightening of airspace and UAV rules as authorities investigate potential launch platforms at sea.
Meanwhile, the crude oil tanker #Pushpa (IMO 9332810) emerges as a high-risk vessel. French authorities are… pic.twitter.com/jedxJxXpYq
Guillaume Le Rasle, spokesman for the French fleet in the Atlantic, tells TV 2.
- An investigation is underway, because there is suspicion of breaking the law on the ship. The suspicion led to a notification by the prosecutor's office in Brest, which is now investigating the case, he says.
Guillaume Le Rasle cannot provide further information about the nature of the alleged offence, as the investigation is secret from the public.
- An investigation is underway, because there is suspicion of breaking the law on the ship. The suspicion led to a notification by the prosecutor's office in Brest, which is now investigating the case, he says.
Guillaume Le Rasle cannot provide further information about the nature of the alleged offence, as the investigation is secret from the public.
Open Image ViewerA photo from Pushpa's deck.
The authorities in Estonia inspected the ship in April this year and found several serious faults with it. Photo: Estonian Police And Border Guard
The prosecutor's office in France confirms to TV 2 that the ship is being investigated following a report on 29 September.
Stéphane Kellenberger from the prosecutor's office in Brest announces in a written reply to TV 2 that the ship is being investigated for "lack of documentation for the ship's nationality and flag affiliation" as well as "refusal to comply with the authorities' instructions".
It has not been possible for TV 2 to get the authorities in France to state who reported the ship, whether the report comes from Denmark or another nation-state, or whether the investigation has any connection to the drone case in Denmark.
We have also asked the police in Denmark whether the French investigation is based on intelligence from Denmark, and whether it is about the drone incidents, but here they refer to the authorities in the country in which the investigation is taking place.
Stopped in the Atlantic Ocean
Pushpa is currently at anchor off the French coast after a sensational maneuver on Sunday and Monday.
The ship was actually on its way to India, but on Sunday evening it met a French naval vessel far out in the Atlantic.
Data on ship traffic shows that Pushpa was joined by a French naval vessel 100 kilometers out in international waters, just as it passed west of the large French naval port in Brest on Sunday 27 September at 15.05, Danish time.
Open Image ViewerThe tanker maneuvers on Saturday 27 September and Sunday 28 September.
Photo: Marine Traffic / TV 2
The naval vessel escorted Pushpa for at least six hours out in international waters, until Pushpa suddenly changed course and sailed into the Bay of Biscay, where the tanker stopped just outside French territorial waters west of the French city of Nantes.
Exactly how big a role the naval vessel played in the change of course is not publicly known, as the naval vessel sailed for long periods with its transponder switched off.
Thus, the naval vessel was invisible on the available data on ship traffic, and therefore there is also uncertainty about how long Pushpa was followed.
Ship data shows, however, that Pushpa has interrupted her journey, and that the ship dropped anchor approximately 40 kilometers west of the French coast on 28 September at 19:00.
Open Image ViewerA satellite photo reveals that Pushpa (top) was accompanied by a vessel, which does not appear on publicly available databases of ship traffic. Photo: ESA / Sentinel 2
Satellite photos confirm that the ship was in the indicated position on Monday at 13.05, and the image from space also shows that there was a larger unidentified vessel, which had its transponder switched off, approximately 1400 meters from Pushpa.
Possible military action
According to military analyst and former naval captain Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, it is surprising that the French navy chooses to attack a ship so far out to sea in international waters.
- I can classify it as a raising of the ship. The French may have sent special forces down on it and taken over the ship. Alternatively, they may have asked them nicely to sail towards the coast and anchor there, he says to TV 2.
Open Image ViewerPushpa sails under the Great Belt Bridge during a visit to Denmark in July this year. Photo: Storebæltsbroen's webcam / Cristian Panton
Jacob Kaarsbo, who is a security policy analyst and former analyst in the Defense Intelligence Service, tells TV 2 that it may well look as if the French have arrested the ship.
- This is not normal. It is reasonable to believe that the French have been asked by the Danes if they want to stop the ship, he says to TV 2.
When the prosecutor's office in Brest states that the ship is being investigated for "lack of documentation for the ship's nationality and flag affiliation" as well as "refusal to comply with the authorities' instructions", according to Jacob Kaarsbo, there could easily be several factors.
- This is relatively safe for the French to say, they detain the ship on this basis, instead of responding to any Danish enquiries, he says.
Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen says that it is interesting that the French navy is suddenly interested in this particular ship, when there are so many other ships from the Russian shadow fleet that could be detained.
Was at the crime scene
According to the two analysts, Pushpa could be interesting in connection with the drone saga in Denmark, as the ship was located within flying distance of both Copenhagen Airport and several airports in Jutland, when the first drone incidents took place.
Open Image ViewerPushpa's position when the drone incidents took place.
You may be wondering why Russia is harassing Denmark with drones.
Take a look at the route Russian ghost fleet freighters have to take to ship out their crude oil, and you'll understand immediately why Denmark is in the Kremlin's crosshairs.
Photo: Marine Traffic / TV 2
Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen says that the case in France here can be reminiscent of the affair with the ship Eagle S, which was boarded by Finnish special forces on suspicion that it had been involved in a cable break in the Baltic Sea.
He insists that France seems to have acted in violation of international rules, if the ship has been forced onto the French coast against the captain's will, and he says that it is a decision that could potentially create a diplomatic crisis between France and the African country of Benin, whose flag Pushpa sails under.
He doubts, however, that there is any evidence left if the ship has been involved in the drone saga.
- The sea is big, and ships that do something criminal in addition to transporting sanctioned oil have ample opportunity to get rid of any evidence on the journey, so it will be interesting to hear what the French find out, he says to TV 2.
Incidentally, it is not the first time Pushpa has been detained by a NATO country, in April this year the ship was detained by the authorities in Estonia for 15 days, after it entered Estonian territorial waters.
At the time, an inspection revealed that the aging tanker had 29 serious faults, which had to be rectified before it was allowed to sail on.
Pushpa tanker (IMO 9332810), aka Boracay/Kiwala tanker, flying the flag of Benin, departed from the port of Primorsk (Leningrad Oblast) on Sept. 20 from Russia's so-called "Shadow Fleet," which French commandos entered on the suspicion it was a covert drone-launching ship, had zero drones, was staffed entirely by a Chinese crew, and was quietly allowed to resume its voyage...
As two days ago, Windward is tracking 6 falsely flagged dark fleet tankers sailing through English Channel or Atlantic to & from Russian Baltic ports.
(False flag designation is assigned by IMO).
As part of Nordic Baltic 8++ efforts to address the dark fleet, these vessels will be approached/radioed for flag/insurance & other details to ensure compliance with international maritime law (which they are clearly not).
France, UK, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Denmark and others will all ask the same questions.
This intelligence gathering/harrassment of this elderly, anonymously owned, poorly maintained fleet threatening the security, safety & environment of coastal states as they enjoy what’s known as the right of innocent passage under UNCLOS is so far all countries have been prepared and able to do.
Being flagless & effectively stateless is another avenue for the Nordic Baltic 8++ to tackle the shadow fleet as demonstrated by France’s actions with Boracay.
But will countries’ navies further exercise UNCLOS Article 110 which allows for warships to deal with stateless vessels?
(False flag designation is assigned by IMO).
As part of Nordic Baltic 8++ efforts to address the dark fleet, these vessels will be approached/radioed for flag/insurance & other details to ensure compliance with international maritime law (which they are clearly not).
France, UK, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Denmark and others will all ask the same questions.
This intelligence gathering/harrassment of this elderly, anonymously owned, poorly maintained fleet threatening the security, safety & environment of coastal states as they enjoy what’s known as the right of innocent passage under UNCLOS is so far all countries have been prepared and able to do.
Being flagless & effectively stateless is another avenue for the Nordic Baltic 8++ to tackle the shadow fleet as demonstrated by France’s actions with Boracay.
But will countries’ navies further exercise UNCLOS Article 110 which allows for warships to deal with stateless vessels?
This is the basis I believe was likely used for the French to board & detain Boracay.
It was probably also used by Estonia in the Jaguar case in May. Unlike Jaguar, there were no nearby Russian fighter jets to fly into NATO airspace to protect Boracay & intimidate France’s navy into allowing the tanker to proceed.
Boracay departed from its anchorage off western France and is likely heading for India via the Suez Canal.
Boracay departed from its anchorage off western France and is likely heading for India via the Suez Canal.
The ship’s master and first officer were returned to the vessel after earlier being detained and questioned by the French.
Prosecuters said Boracay was “considered to be an unregistered vessel under international law”.
Prosecuters said Boracay was “considered to be an unregistered vessel under international law”.
The captain was ordered to appear in a criminal court in Brest in February and no further legal action was taken against the first officer.
As you can see from the graphic at least three falsely flagged tankers (Maini, Sabina and Night Glory) are sailing around Britain rather than going through the Channel.
Sabina is signalling Murmansk but Maini and Night Glory (both aframaxes so more likely going to the Baltic) are possibly emulating Blue (seen at the top of Britain this morning) which is making its second voyage to the Baltic in four months by avoiding the English Channel, with extended periods of dark activity along the way that has no doubt ensured that all governments/naval eyes remain clapped on it at every stage of its voyage.
Just ending on some of Windward’s latest analysis (as of Sept 24) of the dark fleet (~1000 over 20kdwt) which is a sobering reminder of the threat falsely flagged vessels pose: nearly 2/3 Windward dark fleet over 20kdwt is sanctioned & 28% falsely flagged or flag ‘unknown’ rising to 62% of all sanctioned tankers.
As you can see from the graphic at least three falsely flagged tankers (Maini, Sabina and Night Glory) are sailing around Britain rather than going through the Channel.
Sabina is signalling Murmansk but Maini and Night Glory (both aframaxes so more likely going to the Baltic) are possibly emulating Blue (seen at the top of Britain this morning) which is making its second voyage to the Baltic in four months by avoiding the English Channel, with extended periods of dark activity along the way that has no doubt ensured that all governments/naval eyes remain clapped on it at every stage of its voyage.
Just ending on some of Windward’s latest analysis (as of Sept 24) of the dark fleet (~1000 over 20kdwt) which is a sobering reminder of the threat falsely flagged vessels pose: nearly 2/3 Windward dark fleet over 20kdwt is sanctioned & 28% falsely flagged or flag ‘unknown’ rising to 62% of all sanctioned tankers.
Links :
- X : Windward
- France24 : Russia-linked 'shadow fleet' oil tanker stopped by France resumes voyage
- The Insider : France investigates Russian “shadow fleet” tanker anchored off coast one week after it was spotted near Denmark amid airport drone sightings
- Eurobews : France investigating Russia-linked tanker for 'serious offences,' Macron says
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