Ce courrier en françaisDear Ukrainian friends from Belgium,
We need your help to contact Belgian associations, authorities and media to put a stop to the fraud involving the Russian ship Shtandart in Belgium.
In the summer of 2025, the Russian propaganda ship Shtandart will offer illegal cruises to various destinations, including France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. It is expected to dock in Ostend on September 1, 2025, during its voyage from Stavanger, Norway, to Saint-Malo, France. It may also call at other Belgian ports: https://shtandart.eu/services/sail-with-us/
This project violates Article 3ea of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, introduced in response to the fifth round of sanctions after the Bucha massacre.
1. After 16 April 2022, it shall be prohibited to provide access to ports and, after 29 July 2022, to locks in the territory of the Union to ANY vessel registered under the flag of Russia. Such vessels shall not be permitted to access ports or locks, except for the purpose of leaving the territory of the Union…
European Council – Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, Article 3ea §1
On June 24, 2024, the 27 Member States of the European Council clarified that the Shtandart is included within the scope of EU port sanctions.
In paragraph 3, point (a) is replaced by the following:
European Council – Decision (CFSP) 2024/1744 of 24 June 2024
‘(a) a ship falling within the scope of the relevant international conventions, including replicas of historical ships’.
These provisions were confirmed by a letter from the EU Commission to the collective ‘No Shtandart in Europe’.
Captain and hidden owner Vladimir Martus has nothing but contempt for the regulations, court rulings, authorities, and institutions of the countries he visits. He believes he can disembark unannounced at his chosen destinations, violating the sanctions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is doing this because he is falsely presenting himself as an opponent of the Russian regime, and he is confident that he can resort to « humanitarian » blackmail.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could alert the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and your maritime authorities about this case. Informing the media could also be useful.
You should find all the necessary information in the document we prepared for our friends of abroad. Nevertheless, please do not hesitate to ask us any questions you may have.
The Shtandart has already been officially banned in Saint-Malo and Jersey:
- Jersey Evening Post, 26/06/2025 — Replica Russian frigate “caught in the storm of today’s geopolitics” denied entry to Jersey
- Le télégramme, 19/06/2025 – ‘Still banned from entering’: the ‘Shtandart’ will have to be moored outside the port of Saint-Malo (Fr)
You may also be interested in these UKRINFORM articles:
- Ukrinform, 20/06/2025 – Russian ship Shtandart banned from several French ports – activist
- Ukrinform, 19/06/2025 – Російському судну «Штандарт» заборонили заходити в низку французьких портів – активіст
- Ukrinform, 05/05/2025 – Французькі активісти хочуть назавжди вигнати з країни російський вітрильник «Штандарт»
- Ukrinform,05/05/2025 – Le collectif « No Shtandart in Europe » veut fait bannir le trois-mâts russe « Shtandart » des ports français
- Ukrinform,05/05/2025 – Le trois-mâts russe « Shtandart » n’a pas pu accoster au port du Havre
- Ukrinform, 04/05/2025 – Russian ship must leave French territorial waters for good – French activist
- Ukrinform, 04/05/2025 – Російському вітрильнику «Штандарт» не дали пришвартуватись у французькому Гаврі
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Kind regards,
No Shtandart In Europe
Email: noshtandartineurope@gmail.com
Website: https://bit.ly/No-Shtandart
Facebook: groups/noshtandartineurope
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