The two men were employed by Moran Security Group, a Russian private security company, and were tasked with monitoring the crew and gathering intelligence, a source with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity.
CNN reported in December that Russian personnel based on ships carrying oil had been involved in spying in European waters, citing Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources.
The Boracay is thought to be part of a fleet of tankers used to transport Russian oil in violation of sanctions imposed by Western countries over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
French authorities boarded the vessel in September, briefly detaining its captain and first mate. The vessel was then allowed to resume its journey.
On Monday, the Chinese captain of the Boracay was set to go on trial in absentia in the city of Brest in western France.
“There were two Russians aboard the Boracay,” the source said.
The men were aged 34 and 40, the source said, adding one of them is a former police officer who had worked for Wagner mercenary group.
Moran Security Group, which experts say was founded by former officers of Russia’s FSB security service, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The men’s role on board the Boracay was “to ensure the protection of the vessel and, above all, to make sure the captain strictly followed the orders given in line with Russian interests”, the source said. They also gathered “intelligence”, the source said.
The Boracay has been linked to mysterious drone flights over Denmark last year including military sites, part of a recent spate of drone sightings and airspace violations in European countries blamed on Russia. Moscow denies responsibility.
The presence of two Russian nationals on board the vessel was confirmed by the lawyer of the Chinese captain.
“There were two Russian citizens on board the ship,” lawyer Henri de Richemont told AFP.
“They represented the cargo,” he said, adding that they were “not sailors”.
“My client has nothing to do with their presence,” the lawyer said. “He is not the one who put Russians on board his vessel.”
The captain and his first officer were taken into police custody in early October before returning to sea.
The captain is accused of refusing to comply with orders.
AFP
