Macron announced the operation by publishing video of the boarding. The vessel was flying the flag of Benin and was bound for the Chilean port of Cruz Grande, according to MarineTraffic. It is suspected of using a false flag and of involvement in the illegal transport of fuel.
The French armed forces command said the suspicions were confirmed after documents were examined. Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said the ship is under escort and that further inspection will be carried out under the authority of the prefect of Réunion.
DF Peak has been under U.S. sanctions since 2024, joined by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine. Deutsche Welle reports the vessel is among 700 ships on EU sanctions lists.
The tanker was built in South Korea in 2006 and operated by Sovcomflot under the name NS Captain. It was renamed Kaliningrad in April 2024 and DF Peak in June 2025, when it switched from the Russian flag to that of Benin. Its registered owner is now listed as the Hong Kong company Hong Kong Ding Feng Shipping.
This is not the first shadow fleet tanker detained by France. Since last autumn, French forces have detained the vessels Grinch, Boracay, Deyna, Tagor and Deliver, all of which were subsequently released. According to The Insider, DF Peak is the sixth such vessel in the past year.