How is the Russian ship “Shtandart” ignoring the prefectural ban on calling at the port of Saint-Malo?

Short URL: https://wp.me/p6jaF3-aFS

For the attention of :
Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine
Maritime Prefect of the Atlantic

Copies:
Ukrainian Embassy in France
Ukrainian Embassy in Great Britain
Ukrainian associations in France, Great Britain and Spain
Press

Re: How is the Russian ship “Shtandart” ignoring the prefectural ban on calling at the port of Saint-Malo?

June 29, 2025

Mr Prefect,
Admiral,

The friends of Ukraine and the members of the « No Shtandart in Europe » collective are very grateful to the Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine and the Brittany region for formally and publicly reminding us on 19 June 2025 that the European sanctions do indeed apply to the Shtandart and that the Russian propaganda ship is therefore forbidden to dock in the ports of the Ille-et-Vilaine department. This stance commands respect when you consider the networks of influence working for the benefit of this vessel, at the heart of the French state apparatus. The prefects Galy and Blondel in the departments of Morbihan and Charente-Maritime, for example, continue to grant the Shtandart privileges. 

Ouest-France, 23/05/2025 — INVESTIGATION. The Russian ship “Shtandart” brings Putin’s war to the Gulf of Morbihan

Castellon Informacion, 27/03/2024 – « El Shtandart es una herramienta de propaganda rusa y tiene la entrada prohibida en cualquier puerto europeo »

Be that as it may, the Russian citizen Vladimir Martus, captain and hidden owner of the Shtandart, has decided to ignore the instructions of the Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine.

1. Why is Vladimir Martus flouting the prefect’s ban?
2. How can the Shtandart “accommodate” the prefectural ban?
3. How can France put an end to the Shtandart propaganda ship case?
4. On the same topic

Why is Vladimir Martus flouting the prefect’s ban?

The Shtandart‘s stopovers in Saint-Malo on 2 July and 9 September remain in the cruise programme offered for sale.

On 24 June 2025, the Shtandart‘s Facebook page announced that it was leaving for Saint-Malo the following day.

This destination also appears on the Vessel Finder and Marine Traffic websites.

The fact that the Saint-Malo stopovers have been maintained is hardly surprising. Indeed, although Vladimir Martus has removed the Channel Islands (UK) from his programme following the position taken by the Jersey government, he is maintaining his cruises to and from Portugalete, a town close to Bilbao (Spain). However, in 2024, he was already formally banned from docking in all Spanish ports before being banned from Spanish territorial waters.

• Jersey Evening Post, 26/06/2025 – Replica Russian frigate ‘caught in the storm of today’s geopolitics’ denied entry to Jersey. 
• Elentir 24/07/2024 – Spain vetoed the Russian frigate Shtandart, which intended to reach Vigo, in all its ports. 
• El Mundo, 27/07/2024 – Expulsan de aguas españolas a un velero ruso que fondeó en Galicia sin permiso. 

How can the Shtandart “accommodate” the prefectural ban?

Perhaps the Shtandart, flying the Russian imperial flag at the top of its mainmast, will limit itself to anchoring outside the port of Saint-Malo? If so, we can expect a chorus of boos orchestrated by Jean-Paul Hellequin, president of Mor Glaz, a darling of Russian propaganda agencies. It should be noted that on 16 August 2024, Ceclant Premar Atlantique, via CROSS – Étel, issued strict anchoring instructions. 

• Anchorage is requested with 24 hours’ notice to the nearest signal station.
• The reasons for the anchoring request are specified.
• Any connection to land is announced to the nearest signal station.
• Any change of personnel on board is communicated to the nearest signal station.Two anchorages are separated by at least 3 days (the anchoring request must include the date of the last anchorage and its position).

Russian citizen Martus commented on Premar’s instructions via Facebook on 18 August 2024: « Sometimes it becomes even more ridiculous ». In fact, he failed to meet these conditions during the recent “Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan” (26 May – 1 June 2025). Why should Saint-Malo be any different?

Vladimir Martus may choose to moor in a neighboring department to Ille-et-Vilaine. Although there is a prefectoral decree dated 14 August 2024 for the department of La Manche, this is not the case for the department of Côtes d’Armor…

More likely, the Shtandart will resort, as we warned on 14 June 2025, to « humanitarian » blackmail, through paragraph 4 of artícle 3ea of Regulation (EU) nº 833/2014. He will thus force access to Saint-Malo. He will be able to count on his devoted « useful idiot », Jean-Paul Hellequin, who will campaign for this. There are 335 nautical miles from La Rochelle to Saint-Malo, 150 nautical miles from Saint-Malo to Falmouth, and almost 1,000 miles from Saint-Malo to Aberdeen.

That’s enough to arouse the sympathy of households along the Breton coast, even if the destinations advertised are fictitious. Article 3ea of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 applies in Ireland. A port ban exists in Great Britain. The text « Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2022 Regulation 6 » bears witness to this: 

• Prohibition on port entry, 57A
• Interpretation of Part 6, 57I
• Exceptions from prohibition on port entry 61A

We have good reason to believe that the Shtandart will find less support for its evasion of port sanctions from the British and Irish authorities than from certain French authorities.

How can France put an end to the Shtandart propaganda ship case?

Saint-Malo is an opportunity for France to put an end to the Shtandart fraud, which has been going on for over three years. Once again, we propose to follow Spain’s example. The next time there is an infringement, the Russian vessel should be banned from French territorial waters. At the very least, Ceclant Premar Atlantique could ban it from the territorial waters between Bidasoa and Couesnon.

Then, if the Shtandart continues to enter prohibited waters and ports, the false opponent Vladimir Martus should be arrested and deported to the country of which he is a citizen. The ship should then be returned to Russia or the next sanctions-free port under the supervision of the first mate or a professional crew, at the expense of Mariia Martus (the ‘owner’) and Martus TV GmbH (the ‘charterer’). Vladimir Martus’ German residence permit should also be revoked.

Yours faithfully

Bernard Grua

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