Two people have been arrested after French forces raided a suspected Russian ghost ship linked to its ‘shadow fleet’.
The Boracay, which is anchored near Saint Nazaire, failed to comply with orders with the crew refusing to provide proof of the vessel’s nationality, according to investigators.
But it is feared the 801 ft boat helped launch drones into Nato airspace after it was spotted sailing close to the Danish coast after Copenhagen airport was forced to close.
It was stationed near the country from September 22 to 25, when mystery drone flights disrupted air traffic across Denmark and the rest of Europe.
Before this it was moored off the Russian village of Ust-Luga before travelling towards the Gulf of Finland.
The Boracay is also Benin-flagged which has been blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s oil tankers flouting sanctions following Putin’s invasion in Ukraine.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: ‘There were some very serious offences committed by this crew, which justify the current judicial procedure.’
After the vessel entered French waters, the navy detained it after the crew refused to confirm the nationality of the vessel.
The captain and the first mate were arrested and taken into custody.
It comes as German authorities confirm they are investigating claims unidentified drones may have spied on critical infrastructure in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
The drones were spotted on September 25 above a power plant in Kiel as well as a university hospital and a shipyard.
