France’s navy said on Tuesday that authorities are investigating a suspected infraction by the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, a vessel listed under British and European Union sanctions targeting Russia.
“Following a suspected offence by the vessel Boracay, a report was made to the public prosecutor’s office in Brest. An investigation is underway,” the navy said in a statement to Reuters.
Britain and the EU imposed sanctions on the crude carrier in October 2024 and February 2025, respectively. The EU said the ship was linked to transporting Russian crude and petroleum products “while practising irregular and high-risk shipping practices.” The UK listed the vessel for activity intended to destabilise Ukraine or benefit the Russian government through the movement of Russian oil to third countries.
The ship, previously named Kiwala, changed its name in December 2024 to Boracay — and appears as “Pushpa” on some shipping databases. Vessels keep the same IMO number throughout their lifespan but may change names.
Estonia released the Kiwala in April 2025 after detaining it for sailing without a valid flag. The tanker is described by analysts as part of a “shadow fleet” engaged in Russian oil trade, with opaque ownership and insurance and typically older than 20 years.
Built in 2007, the crude tanker is currently at anchor off France’s Atlantic coast near Saint-Nazaire.