Shtandart, what should Ukraine do against Shoigu and Putin’s ambassador ship occupying French ports? 

Cover image – @art.malon: Mariia Loniuk – Марія Лонюк

The Russian private vessel « Shtandart » occupies the French port of La Rochelle for almost two years. From this base, it travels to various maritime festivals where it provides lucrative commercial services. Yet the 5th round of sanctions, formalised in Article 3ea of European Regulation No 833/2014 states:

1.   It shall be prohibited to provide access, after 16 April 2022, to ports and, after 29 July 2022, to locks in the territory of the Union, to ANY vessel registered under the flag of Russia, with the exception of access to locks for the purpose of leaving the territory of the Union.

Article 3ea of European Regulation No 833/2014

Ouest-France, the most widely circulated daily newspaper in France, conducted a weeks-long investigation. Its conclusions are summarised in two main articles:

• Ouest-France – Putin’s opponent or propagandist, who is the captain of the Shtandart invited to Brittany? (FR) – 29/03/2024
• Ouest-France – The Russian ship Shtandart, authorised to dock in French ports, embarrasses its protectors (FR) – 29/03/2024

They demonstrate that Vladimir Martus, the captain and owner of the « Shtandart », is not an opponent to Putin’s regime and that there are no Ukrainians on board his ship. They also prove that this individual has close links with the Russian Presidential Administration. In addition to the above articles, all the sources, in Russian, can be consulted here: https://bit.ly/na-russkom (RU)

On 27 April 2024, the newspaper Sud-Ouest reported that the « Shtandart » case is being handled by the Secretary General for the Sea, Didier Lallement, who heads an interministerial department reporting directly to the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal.

• Sud-Ouest – The Russian flag of the « Shtandart » is now undesirable, 27/04/2024.

Following #NoShtandartInEurope actions, if the Russian vessel wants to stay in French ports, Didier Lallement only asks « Shtandart » to change its registration flag. As a result, Vladimir Martus pretends his ship is being reflagged to the Cook Islands. Yet Article 3ea of European Regulation No 833/2014 states:

2.  Paragraph 1 (prohibition) shall apply to vessels that have changed their Russian flag or their registration, to the flag or register of any other State after 24 February 2022.

Article 3ea of European Regulation No 833/2014

The « Shtandart » will therefore continue to bypass European sanctions with the complicity of the highest French authorities. Furthermore, the re-flagging of the « Shtandart » will not change the nature of Vladimir Martus’ links with the Russian Presidential Administration and, possibly, with its intelligence services. The Russian ship will still represent a potential risk to French national security as well as to Ukrainian citizens and Russian opponents living in France. In addition, the ship will be able to continue its imperialist propaganda mission.

I therefore recommend the Ukrainian government to get in touch with the French government in order to obtain the irrevocable expulsion, as soon as possible, of this ambassador ship of Putin and Shoigu. Failing that, I suggest that France’s reneging on its signature should be publicised as widely as possible. In addition, I recommend that the « Shtandart » vessel be considered a legitimate target by the Ukrainian armed forces when transiting international waters.

Bernard Grua