France is investigating the captain of a tanker suspected of belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet.”

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A judicial investigation was opened, on Tuesday, on the island of La Reunion into the captain of the oil tanker “DF Peak”, which is suspected of belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet”, after it was forced to change its course towards this French island in the Indian Ocean.

The investigation concerns the misdemeanor of “failing to prove the nationality” of the ship during its inspection at sea, a crime punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros (about 335,000 dollars), with the possibility of confiscating the ship.

The Saint-Denis Public Prosecutor also explained in a statement that the investigations will focus “on determining the operating conditions of the ship and the identity of its owner and outfitter, who may be subject to criminal accountability.”

On the other hand, Russia described the French Navy's interception of the tanker as a "flagrant violation of the rules of international law."

The Russian Embassy in France said in a statement: “We would like to stress once again that the actions of the French Navy, which intercepted the DF Peak oil tanker on the high seas, constitute a flagrant violation of the rules of international law.”

She also added, "Any allegation that the tanker violated so-called 'international sanctions', which are in fact nothing but illegal unilateral measures, is nothing more than a means of covering up a blatant act of piracy and plunder."

While the embassy stated that it is checking whether there are Russian citizens among the crew members.

The 21 crew members, who hold several nationalities, remain on board the ship, and are subject to measures restricting and depriving them of their freedom for an initial period of 48 hours, which can be extended by decision of a judge.

This came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced, on Monday, the interception of the ship, stressing Paris’s determination to combat the “shadow fleet,” a term that refers to the ships that Moscow uses to export oil and gas by circumventing Western sanctions.

The French Navy inspected the tanker in international waters, about 500 nautical miles south of La Reunion Island. While the inspection on board confirmed the “illegality of flying the Benin flag,” which prompted the relevant Public Prosecution, under the powers of the Maritime Court, to issue an order to divert its course to a mooring site off the island, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

It is noteworthy that the ships that Russia is suspected of using to export its fuel resources, despite Western sanctions, sometimes change their names or the flags they fly to circumvent inspections.

DF Peck, which was called Kaliningrad until June 2024, is one of more than 700 ships subject to EU sanctions.

These developments come amid European concern about the war in Ukraine, after sanctions were lifted and an agreement was reached between Washington and Moscow regarding Russian diesel.