July 2025 : sanctionned-Russian ship « Shtandart » plans illegal calls in Ireland ports.

Dear friends of Ukraine in Ireland,

This summer, the Russian propaganda ship Shtandart is offering illegal cruises to various destinations, including France, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. During its voyage from Saint-Malo to Aberdeen (2–20 July 2025), it is expected to dock in Dublin. However, it may also call at other Irish ports. We must collectively stand up to this fraud and put an end to it.

This video was created by the Shtandart‘s team for advertising purposes and was initially posted on the ‘Shtandart Project’ Facebook page on 28/06/2025. Please note that port calls are prohibited for the Shtandart in the United Kingdom due to UK sanctions, and in Ireland due to EU sanctions. Note also the pirate flag on the ‘ship’. This is further evidence of the Shtandart’s outlaw status, and of Vladimir Martus’s disdain for the regulations and authorities of the countries he visits.

For up-to-date information – https://shtandart.eu/services/sail-with-us/

A violation of the sanctions that were imposed following the Russian massacre in Bucha.

Such a tour violates Article 3ea of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, which was introduced in response to the fifth round of sanctions imposed 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

Please note that on 24 June 2024, the 27 Member States of the European Council confirmed that the Shtandart falls within the scope of EU port sanctions.

In paragraph 3, point (a) is replaced by the following:
‘(a) a ship falling within the scope of the relevant international conventions, including replicas of historical ships’.
European Council – Decision (CFSP) 2024/1744 of 24 June 2024

These provisions were confirmed, in 2024, by the decision of the Rennes Administrative Court, a letter from the European Commission to the ‘No Shtandart in Europe’ collective, and a decree from the French Council of State. Nevertheless, the fraud involving the Russian vessel Shtandart continued in 2025.

vladimir Martus portrait — **Vladimir Martus**, the outlaw

The russian ship’s 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 that he can disembark unannounced at the destinations he has chosen, in violation of the sanctions resulting from Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is because he is falsely presenting himself as an opponent of the Russian regime, and he is confident that he can resort to « humanitarian » blackmail.

Vladimir Martus, a false opponent and a promoter of Russian interests

Martus has falsely claimed to be an ‘opponent’ of the Russian regime since March 2022. Since June 2024, he has claimed not to have had any contact with Russia. In reality, however, he is closely associated with the Russian regime and its propaganda outlets. The following is the documented and sourced result of the collective ‘No Shtandart for Europe’ research:

« Shtandart, » 2009: Vladimir Martus’s refusal to comply with safety regulations was falsely presented as political opposition to Putin’s regime.
In October 2021, Vladimir Martus and the « Shtandart » undertook a diplomatic mission with Putin’s sponsorship and financing.
From 2007 to 2022, a Russian bibliography of Martus shows his status as a non-opponent and as a Russian public figure.
DOSSIER. The Shtandart, propaganda organs and Russian media. (Summer 2024: Vladimir Martus gave interviews to Russian propaganda outlets: RIA Novosti, TASS, RBC, Izvestia, etc. He was presented as a national hero for fighting against the French authorities, sanctions, and European institutions in hundreds of Russian press articles).

The Ouest-France Bretagne editorial team’s in-depth work must also be examined.

Additionally, it is worth reading the following:

Komsomolskaya Pravda, 06/08/2024 – Russian sailing ship “Standart” will make a third attempt to violate European sanctions (Ru).
Komsomolskaya Pravda, 15/08/2024 – “We do not agree”: the captain of the sailing ship “Standart” sues the European Union over sanctions (Ru)

In RUSSIA, the Kombat-tour agency is particularly promoting the illegal commercial activity of Shtandart on the coasts of Western Europe: Открыт набор в Комбат-тур!

Moreover, if Standart is short on cash as Vladimir Martus claims, one question arises: Who is funding the flurry of legal action initiated by ‘Martus TV GmbH’ and Vladimir Martus against the French authorities, sanctions, and European institutions?

Unannounced dockings

We are alerting to the fact that, if the Shtandart is banned from entering a particular port, it will attempt to enter another neighbouring port without prior notice. This is a practice that it has generalized since 2022 on the Iberian Peninsula.

Due to this now-classic modus operandi, the Spanish maritime authorities expressly notified the Shtandart on July 24, 2024, that the ban applies to all ports in Spain.
Outono, 24/07/2024 – Spain vetoed the Russian frigate Shtandart, which intended to reach Vigo, in all its ports.

Failure to comply with these and other instructions resulted in the Russian vessel being expelled from and completely banned from Spanish territorial waters on 27 July 2024.
El Mundo, 27/07/2024 — Expulsan de aguas españolas a un velero ruso que fondeó en Galicia sin permiso.

Despite being banned from Spanish territorial waters, Vladimir Martus is advertising cruises to and from Portugalete, Spain, from 26 to 28 September 2025. How is this possible? The crook is confident in his ‘humanitarian’ blackmail strategy.

‘Humanitarian’ blackmail to force the access to prohibited ports.

Vladimir Martus deliberately chooses to sail the Shtandart to places he is not permitted to visit. There, he gains access to forbidden ports by playing his favourite ‘humanitarian’ blackmail game.

Vladimir Martus abuses paragraph 4 of Article 3ea of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, stating that access to ports should be granted for safety or emergency reasons. He claims that the crew does not have sufficient food or water to complete the long journey to their next (prohibited) port of call.

4. Paragraphs 1 and 1a (port prohibition) shall not apply in the case of a vessel in need of assistance seeking a place of refuge, of an emergency port call for reasons of maritime safety, or for saving life at sea.
European Council – Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, Article 3ea §1

Surprisingly, the skipper of the delinquent ship has never been prosecuted for deliberately endangering the lives of others, especially underage customers . Nor has he ever been forbidden to take on passengers who are not adults, including nationals of the country he is visiting. He uses them as hostages in his deceptions. that should be explored in order to punish the perversity of his methods.

Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!

It would be a great help if pro-Ukraine activists in Ireland could alert the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Maritime authorities to this case. Informing the media is also of importance.

Department of Foreign Affairs
Iveagh House, 80 St Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2, D02 VY53, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 408 2000
Website: www.dfa.ie/sanctions

All the information needed is in the following document that we have prepared for our friends from abroad. Nevertheless, please do not hesitate to ask us any questions you may have.