No flag. Russian oil. Two intelligence operatives on board. Now its captain faces prison.

A French court has sentenced the captain of a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker to one year in prison for refusing to comply with naval orders during an inspection at sea, according to Le Figaro.

The case stems from a September 2025 incident when the tanker Boracay was intercepted by the French navy off the coast of Brittany.

Chen Zhangjie, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was convicted by a court in Brest on 30 March and fined €150,000. The court also issued an arrest warrant, as he was not present for the verdict.

Refusal to comply triggered risky manoeuvre

Le Figaro reports that prosecutors said the captain showed “clear unwillingness” to cooperate when French forces attempted to inspect the vessel, forcing the navy to carry out what they described as a dangerous manoeuvre that could have led to an accident.

The 244-metre tanker was sailing without a visible flag at the time of the encounter near the island of Ouessant, raising suspicions among French authorities.

Chen’s defence argued that the case fell outside French jurisdiction, saying the incident occurred in international waters and should instead be handled under Chinese law, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The court rejected that argument.

Part of Russia’s shadow fleet

The Boracay has been linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet – a network of tankers used to transport oil while obscuring ownership and bypassing Western sanctions.

At the time of its detention, the vessel was carrying Russian crude oil bound for India and was operating under a false Benin flag. It has since been renamed Phoenix and now sails under a Russian flag.

European authorities have increasingly targeted such vessels, which generate billions in revenue for Moscow and help sustain its war effort against Ukraine.

Linked to wider security concerns

The tanker had also drawn attention over suspected links to drone flights that disrupted air traffic in Denmark in September 2025, although French prosecutors did not pursue charges related to those incidents.

Two employees of a Russian private security company were on board during the interception, reportedly tasked with monitoring the crew and gathering intelligence.

The Boracay was detained on 27 September after French naval forces identified irregularities in its registration and behaviour. It was later allowed to resume its voyage toward the Suez Canal, though the captain was ordered to appear in court.

The sentencing highlights growing European efforts against Russia’s shadow fleet, as Western governments step up efforts to enforce sanctions and disrupt covert oil exports.