In France, the captain of a Russian tanker was sentenced to one year in prison
In France, a court has sentenced the captain of the Russian tanker Boracay, which belongs to the so-called “shadow fleet.” He was detained last year by the French military off the coast of Brittany. The captain, a Chinese citizen, was sentenced on Monday to one year in prison. A court in Brest found him guilty of refusing to follow orders.
This was reported by Le Figaro.
Chen Zhangze, 39, who was not present when the verdict was read, was also fined 150,000 euros. The court issued an arrest warrant for him.
This sentence aligns with the prosecution’s recommendations during the February 23 hearing.
French military personnel “encountered particular hostility from the captain,” which forced them to perform “a dangerous maneuver that could have led to an accident,” said Deputy Prosecutor Gabriel Rollin.
The court accuses the captain of refusing to comply when the French navy attempted to inspect his 244-meter vessel, which was not flying a visible flag, on September 27, 2025, while it was sailing in international waters near the island of Ushant.
Subject to European sanctions for belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” the vessel, which was carrying a cargo of Russian oil bound for India, hoisted a false Benin flag before the boarding.
On board were two employees of a Russian private security company whose task was to monitor the crew and gather intelligence. During the hearings, Chen Zhangze’s lawyer, Henri de Richemont, insisted on his client’s acquittal, arguing that he could not be tried in a French court for these events, which took place in international waters.
If Chen Zhangjie refused to comply, he should be tried in a Chinese court, not a French one, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the lawyer argued. The oil tanker is now named "Phoenix" and sails under the Russian flag.
As a reminder, Russian mercenaries control the “shadow fleet” transporting oil in the Gulf of Finland.
Recall that the sanctioned Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea.
The fire on theRussian tanker in the Mediterranean Sea reduces the profitability of Russian gas exports.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking its tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.
