A Russian “ghost ship” present off Saint-Nazaire at the center of the investigation

This oil tanker has been present for several days near the French territorial waters, off the wind farm in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), learned the international editor of Radio France on Tuesday.

An investigation was opened by the Brest prosecutor’s office for lack of documentation and refusal to comply with the instructions of the authorities on Monday, September 29, after the report of a Russian ghost ship. This suspicious ship has been present for several days near French territorial waters, off the wind farm in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), the international editor of Radio France learned on Tuesday.

The boat, the Boracay, Officially registered in Benin, is a 244-meter oil tanker, who left Primorsk in Russia, near St. Petersburg, on September 20, direction India, according to data from the Veselfinder and Marinetraffic site, which follow the movements of ships. Launched in 2007, he changed a pavilion several times and changed his name three times since November 2024 (Girl,, Pushpa Or Varuna). He is registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under number 9332810. It is part of the Russian ghost fleet, these clandestine networks of Russian ships which transport oil by bypassing international sanctions. THE Boracay Figure on the list of ships referred to by British sanctions and European against Russia.

The oil tanker’s name also appears in the survey conducted by Denmark after overflight of drones above Copenhagen airport on September 22, according to navigation data identified by the Danish press. Tanker is suspected of having served as a launch platform for drones. ships Astrol-1(IMO 9906544) and Carrier d’Oslo 3 (IMO 9366146)

The ship has been around in the water around the wind farm off Saint-Nazaire, on the edge of French territorial waters since Saturday, reports Here Loire Ocean (ex-France blue). A patroller was sent to the site to monitor him, confirmed the French Navy to here on Wednesday morning.

THE Boracay had been intercepted in April 2025 by the Estonian authorities when he sailed under the name of GirlDue to registration and insurance lack of insurance problems, according to the reference site for the global maritime industry Lloyd’s List, accessed by the Radio France verification agency on Wednesday. The tanker beat Djiboutian pavilion at the time of the events, but the Djiboutian authorities had denied his registration. Estonia finally released the oil tanker at the end of April 2025, with the guarantee that Djibouti would welcome it for checks. The tanker continued to navigate. Also according to the Lloyd’s List site, in July 2025, it was the target of an explosive attack. He was damaged by a diver mine but continued to sail from the incident. We do not know the circumstances of this event.

Currently under Beninese pavilion, the Boracay Belongs to Baaj Shipping Limited, a company registered in Seychelles, according to the Lloyd’s List website. He instructed Russian crude oil in Primorsk, near Saint-Petersburg, on September 20, before crossing the Baltic, passing the Channel to India. According to data in open sources, he had to arrive in Valdinar (India) on October 20.