The French Navy boarded a suspected Russian-linked “shadow fleet” oil tanker on the high seas in the Indian Ocean more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion on the morning (local time) of Monday, October 12.
French President Emmanuel Macron said authorities suspected the Aframax tanker DF Peak of using a false flag and engaging in illicit fuel transport.
"France is determined to fight the shadow fleet, everywhere in the world," Macron said, adding that the operation had been, "conducted in accordance with the international law of the sea."
The French Armed Forces General Staff said the operation was intended to verify the nationality of a vessel claiming to fly the flag of Benin.
A boarding team examined the ship's documents and confirmed doubts over the regularity of the flag flown.
The general staff said the boarding was carried out under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. At the request of the public prosecutor, the tanker was then diverted under escort by French Navy assets.
Article 110 gives warships the right to visit a vessel and check whether it is entitled to fly its flag. If doubts persist once the documents have been reviewed, the warship may carry out an additional examination aboard the vessel.
DF Peak is a 2006-built tanker formerly named Kaliningrad. The vessel was added to the European Union's sanctions list on June 25, 2024.
The operation followed several similar French interceptions over the past year.
In October 2025, French personnel boarded the tanker Boracay, after which a prosecutor opened an investigation when the crew failed to provide proof of the ship's nationality and failed to comply with orders.
In January 2026, France diverted the tanker Grinch for investigation on suspicion of false flag operation. In June, the French Navy boarded Tabor in the Atlantic, with authorities stating that checks had confirmed suspicions over its flag and that the vessel was diverted at a prosecutor's request.
