France Intercepts Tanker DF Peak, Suspected of Belonging to the 'Shadow Fleet'

On October 12, the French Navy intercepted the tanker DF Peak 450 nautical miles south of Reunion Island, on suspicion of sailing under a false Benin flag and of taking part in illicit fuel-transport activities linked to the so-called 'shadow fleet.' French President Emmanuel Macron publicized the operation on social media, describing it as a demonstration of France's determination to combat illicit trafficking anywhere in the world.

Personnel from the Marine Nationale boarded the vessel to carry out a flag-state control under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). A review of the ship's documentation confirmed that the declared Beninese flag was irregular and that the vessel lacked valid flag registration, so it was diverted under escort to Reunion at the request of the public prosecutor. There it was detained, and its captain, a Chinese national, was arrested for failing to prove the vessel's nationality during the inspection, facing a sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine of more than $300,000, with the possibility of the ship being confiscated.

The DF Peak is an Aframax tanker built in 2006, formerly named Kaliningrad, which was operated by Russian state shipping company Sovcomflot until 2022, when it joined the Dubai-based Sun Ship fleet, also linked to Sovcomflot. In 2024 it was sanctioned by the United States for its involvement in the trade of Russian oil in violation of sanctions, and it was later also sanctioned by the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. It is currently owned and operated by Hong Kong-based entities, and according to Reuters it is at least the fifth Russia-linked tanker seized by France.

According to data from Pole Star Global, the last activity by the DF Peak consistent with Russia-linked operations was recorded in April 2025, when it was detected leaving the Black Sea bound for Asia. Between November 2025 and July 2026, the vessel's AIS transponder transmitted positions east of Trinidad, with signs of manipulation such as gaps in transmission and perfectly circular anchoring patterns, consistent with 'anchor spoofing' and 'circle spoofing' techniques. TankerTrackers.com reported having photographed the vessel in Venezuelan waters two months before the interception. The DF Peak had sailed from waters near Trinidad and Tobago in mid-September, crossed the Atlantic and rounded the Cape of Good Hope before being stopped south of Reunion.

Moscow strongly condemned the action, calling it an act of 'piracy' and a violation of international law. The vessel remains anchored off the town of Saint-Denis, Reunion, with its 20 crew members aboard, nationals of Indonesia, Myanmar and China, after the initial restrictions on its movement were lifted by prosecutors. French authorities have not specified the next steps regarding the vessel's final destination.