The Telegraph: Russia Suspected Of Attempting To Hijack French Civilian Ship

• 19.12.2025, 13:27

We're talking about the big Fantastic ferry.

French security services are investigating a possible attempt to remotely seize control of a passenger ship, in which Russia is suspected. It is about a large ferry Fantastic, running between France, Italy and North Africa and capable of carrying more than two thousand passengers, writes The Telegraph.

According to the newspaper, a suspicious "high-tech device" was found on board the ship during its call in the port of Sete in the south of France.

The reason for the check was a signal received from the Italian services. According to preliminary reports, the equipment found could have given remote access to the ferry's key digital systems, including navigation, communications and security.

French investigators do not rule out that the ship's systems could have been infected with malicious software. Such software, they believe, allowed an external operator to monitor the onboard networks and interfere with their functioning if necessary.

Two crew members were detained as part of the investigation, one of them a Latvian citizen recently hired as a trainee. He was taken to Paris and placed in custody on suspicion of illegal access to automated systems for the benefit of a foreign state.

The second crew member, a Bulgarian national, was released after questioning. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that the investigation is considering a version of foreign interference. He emphasized that such operations in recent times have often been linked to the same country. Although the name of the state was not officially announced, French media regarded it as a direct allusion to Russia.

If the version is confirmed, this could be the first recorded case of a hybrid attack on a civilian vessel in France.