As a former naval officer and traditional ship enthusiast, I wish the Tall Ships Races in Aberdeen every success, as they contribute to preserving our remarkable maritime heritage. However, I am deeply concerned about the presence of a vessel that could cause considerable harm to this event. This is the Russian ship Shtandart (MMSI: 518999255), which has been banned from ports in Great Britain, Norway and the European Union due to sanctions.

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1. The Shtandart’s deceptive alternative reality.
2. Maritime events and the toxicity of the Shtandart skipper
3. The crazy summer 2025 tour
4. What measures can be taken to protect the Aberdeen festival from the Shtandart and Vladimir Martus?
5. What does the UK legislation say about port sanctions for Russian ships?
6. Why does the Shtandart fall within the scope of UK sanctions?
   •  6.1. The Shtandart is a Russian shadow property.
   • 6.2. The Shtandart and its registration flags, a “maskirovka”
   • 6.3. The Shtandart, Vladimir Martus, and Russian interests

On the same topic

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1. The Shtandart‘s deceptive alternative reality.

Vladimir Martus is promoting his summer 2025 commercial cruise on Facebook and his website. He claims that the Shtandart, of which he is the skipper, beneficiary and hidden owner, is registered to participate in the Tall Ships Races departing from Aberdeen. See, Shtandart.eu: ‘Shtandart Sets Course for the Tall Ships Races’. We put this to the organisers, who replied. The Shtandart is neither registered nor allowed to participate in the event.

Vladimir Martus has a perfect understanding of what Westerners want to hear. His syrupy fiction is generally received with enthusiasm and without question. Yet he is a controversial figure, a fake opponent, a fake political exile and a fake friend of the Ukrainians. Martus is also close to the Russian presidential administration and its propaganda outlets (see the paragraph 6.3. below for more information). When he cannot force his way in, he adopts the role of the victim, a posture he uses with great skill and success.

This creates disorder, discord and resentment, leading to the chaos that Vladimir Putin is promoting against our societies and countries. Not to mention the other missions he could possibly be in charge of. It must be said that, since February 2022, the Shtandart has enjoyed his greatest successes to date in France, which was slammed by the European Council on 24 June 2024 for this collaboration. Given Great Britain’s commitment to Ukraine, it is easy to see why this would be an appropriate country for the Russians to promote discord and to whitewash Russia.

2. Maritime events and the toxicity of the Shtandart skipper

Martus caused considerable damage to the Brest 2024 maritime festival by campaigning alongside local pro-Russia collaborators, Russian propaganda outlets and influential pro-Russia networks within the state apparatus. This was in retaliation for the Prefect of Finistère enforcing the rule of law. Indeed, on 7 July 2024, the Prefect of Finistère published an order to implement European port sanctions in the department. This prevented the Shtandart from participating in the Brest Maritime Festival, which was set to be the largest event of its kind in Europe that year. Deeming the French prefect’s order illegal, the Russian outlaw set sail for Brest. On 11 July, he attempted to enter the roadstead of Brest by force, prompting the French Navy to dispatch a patrol boat to intercept him.

While moored away from Brest, Martus then instructed his crew to go ashore and appeal to the public, who were unaware of the true political dimension of the issue. On 16 July 2024, he organised a meeting in Brest at which he slandered and attacked Ukrainians, the organisers, the authorities, institutions and law enforcement. Almost half of the press articles focused not on the magnificent festival itself, but on the despicable soap opera surrounding Vladimir Martus. Not to mention the hundreds of articles in the Russian media that stirred up hatred against France, Ukraine, and European institutions.

Next, the Russian ship attempted to establish a presence at the Iacobus Maris Experience in Vigo. The Spanish authorities denied it access in accordance with European regulations. The Shtandart then committed a series of offences. It was banned and expelled from Spanish territorial waters on 27 July 2024, just three days after its arrival. It was a wise decision. The damage to Spain was minimal.

The Shtandart was neither registered nor invited to the 2025 Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan (Gulf of Morbihan Week) from 26 May to 1 June. It nevertheless imposed its presence throughout the event. This was due to the negligence of the Prefect of Morbihan and the complicity of Thierry Verneuil, president of the organisation. The prospect of its arrival caused quite a stir among Breton friends of Ukraine. I invite you to read the investigation by the number two Brittany editor of Ouest-France, the most widely circulated daily newspaper in France.

Ouest-France, 23/05/2025 – INVESTIGATION: The Russian ship « Shtandart » brings Putin’s war to the Gulf of Morbihan.

Since then, the image of the Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan and its organisation, described as pro-Russian, has been irreparably damaged.

Vladimir Martus assures the media that the Shtandart is generally accepted in European ports, barring rare exceptions. This is not true. Since July 2024, it has only been able to dock in French ports in the departments of Morbihan (Vannes) and Charente-Maritime (La Rochelle). The relevant prefects are running a criminal risk.

3. The crazy summer 2025 tour

Vladimir Martus wanted to start his 2025 summer tour in the Channel Islands. This was refused by the Jersey government.

He then announced that he would set sail from the splendid and historic city of Saint-Malo on 2 June 2025. He still claims to have departed from this port, but this is not true. The Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine applied the European ban to all ports in the department, including Saint-Malo. The Shtandart then tried to force access to the Côtes-d’Armor ports. Here too, the Prefect was opposed. The Shtandart therefore anchored off the small marina of Saint-Cast-le-Guildo instead.

Falmouth was on the Shtandart’s 2025 summer programme. The Shtandart did not go. To this day, we don’t know if this was because we had warned the Harbour Master in advance.

Based on our observations and our interactions with the Harbour Master of Saint Mary’s, we believe that we played a role in preventing an unscheduled stopover in the Isles of Scilly on 4 July 2025. The same probably applies to Kilmore Quay in Ireland on 5 July.

However, it was from Kilmore Quay onwards that matters became more serious. The Shtandart disconnected its AIS  (Automatic Identification System) in order to conceal its position and destination.

See: Alert! On 6 July 2025, the Russian sailing ship ‘Shtandart’ (MMSI: 518999255) disabled its AIS transmitter in the Irish Sea in order to conceal its position.

It was forced to reconnect it at Killiney Bay, south of Greater Dublin, at the request of the Irish maritime authorities. You really need to read “The Journal” ’s article. 

The presence of the vessel has caused some controversy and Fine Gael TD (MP) Barry Ward, who is from Dún Laoghaire, has called on the Minister Timmy Dooley, the Minister for State for the Marine, to intervene and have the ship removed.

The Journal, 08/07/2025 – 15:33

(Barry Ward: ) “This ship has a history of declaring false emergencies in order to gain extended access to European ports”.

The Journal, 08/07/2025 – 15:33

(Barry) Ward added that he has written to the Minister and said that the captain of the ship is showing “clear disregard for EU sanctions and this arrogance and perception of impunity cannot be permitted”.

The Journal, 08/07/2025 – 15:33

(Spokesperson for the Department of Transport:) “The Department is aware of the movements of the vessel known as Shtandart. It should be noted that the vessel has not entered a pre-arrival notice for entry into an Irish port which is required under EU regulations”.

The Journal, 08/07/2025 – 15:33

After leaving Killiney Bay, the Shtandart made an unauthorised stopover in Clogherhead, on the night of 8-9 July 2025, which was not even announced. “The Journal” reported on this.

Thomas Byrne, who is Minister for State at the Departments of the Taoiseach, Defence and Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the ship did not receive permissions to berth in Ireland. 

He said that the restrictions on the vessels are under EU measures and that the vessel has not applied for any derogations to permit it access to Ireland.

The Journal, 09/07/2025 – 17:33

“I can’t say specifically in respect to that vessel, but on other occasions we’ve seen hybrid measures by Russia involving this type of activity, designed to confuse, designed to, in some cases, cause chaos, but usually designed to confuse or to upset the local system and to annoy,” he said (The Minister, Thomas Byrne).

The Journal, 09/07/2025 – 17:33

Russian Vladimir Martus’s contempt and casual attitude towards the institutions, laws and authorities of the countries that welcome him is increasingly blatant. In this, he is following Russia’s “diplomatic” lead. Eyes are finally beginning to open to the sulphurous and toxic dimension of the Martus outlaw. He could cause significant damage to the city of Aberdeen and the Tall Ships Races. The prudent thing to do is to protect them from him.

4. What measures can be taken to protect the Aberdeen festival from the Shtandart and Vladimir Martus?

As explained in paragraphs 5. and 6. below, the British port ban applies to the Shtandart.  However the Russian ship can still anchor nearby and pollute the event by sailing as part of the flotilla or being granted a parade. This occurred in Sète in 2022 and 2024 thanks to the ukrainophobic Michel Balique‘s maneuvering. He is the most influential and manipulative lobbyist for the Shtandart. He chairs ‘Les Amis des Grands Voiliers – Sail Training Association France’, a member of ‘Sail Training International’, the organiser of the Tall Ships Races. Balique’s accomplice, Patrice Bernier, is an administrator of the association. As in Brest (see paragraph 2), Martus can cause the same problems in Aberdeen.

Ideally, an eye should be kept out for any infringements committed by the Shtandart, such as those it has committed in Spain and Ireland, so that it can be banned from British territorial waters.

If that is not possible, the Shtandart should be banned from Aberdeenshire’s territorial waters on the grounds of ‘risk of public disorder’.

If none of the above can be implemented, the Shtandart must be authorised to anchor far enough away from the event « for safety reasons ». However, there would still be a risk of Vladimir Martus disembarking with part of his team to carry out his toxic campaign on land as he did in Brest.

It should also be noted that Vladimir Martus knowingly travels to forbidden destinations while keeping open the possibility of using ‘humanitarian’ blackmail to force his way into ports by invoking the need for essential repairs, fuel, water, or food. To date, Martus has never been held accountable for deliberately creating situations that he describes as ‘emergencies‘. This method is proving its worth, especially if there are children on board. 

5. What does the UK legislation say about port sanctions for Russian ships?

Access to the British ports is forbidden for « a ship owned, controlled, chartered or operated by persons connected with Russia » and/or for « a ship flying the Russian flag ».

On 28 February 2022, the British Secretary of State for Transport published an instruction closing UK ports for Russian ships. This instruction was quickly passed into UK legislation on 1 March 2022. What refers to Shtandart can be found here : 

• The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2022 Regulation 6, Prohibition on port entry, 57A 
• The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2022 Regulation 6, Interpretation of Part 6, 57I 
• The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, Ships: exceptions from prohibition on port entry 61A 

6. Why does the Shtandart fall within the scope of UK sanctions?

 6.1. The Shtandart is a Russian shadow property.

Until the middle of the first semester of 2024, the Shtandart was owned by the Saint Petersburg–based company “Shtandart Project”, of which Vladimir Martus owns over 60%. Martus is a Russian citizen. He was born, grew up, and studied in Saint Petersburg. He is the skipper and de facto owner of the ship. The Shtandart is now reportedly owned by a nominee: Mariia Martus, Vladimir Martus’s daughter. She studied in Helsinki and obtained a Finnish citizenship.

Martus has registered the trademark “Shtandart”. He intends to use it as he pleases. He is now threatening legal action against anyone who mentions the name “Shtandart”, even for informational or reference purposes. He wants to censor any facts that might be made public that do not correspond to the fiction he is promoting about the Shtandart and himself for the purpose of deception.

As evidenced by its website, the Shtandart‘s commercial services are invoiced and collected by the company “Martus TV GmbH”, which is controlled and managed by Vladimir Martus. This limited liability company, domiciled in Hamburg under German law, is often misrepresented as an association to appeal to the public’s generosity. Shtandart‘s website demands public financial support via “Martus TV GmbH”.

Regardless of whether one is interested in its de jure or de facto owner, the Shtandart is a private commercial yacht. It is neither an association vessel nor a foundation-owned vessel, as is widely and falsely claimed. Furthermore, clients boarding the ship cannot be legally considered passengers. They are booked as “ trainees” to bypass SOLAS convention requirements.

6.2. The Shtandart and its registration flags, a “maskirovka”

The Shtandart was registered under the Russian flag until June 6, 2024, when it shifted to the flag of the Cook Islands. According to Article 3ea §2 of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, changing the country of registration does not exempt the ship from EU sanctions. Nevertheless, despite its false allegation that it no longer has any links with Russia, the propagandist continues to fly the Russian imperial flag at the top of the mainmast. This was visible throughout the recent « Gulf of Morbihan Week 2025 » . Moreover, Vladimir Martus continues to cultivate close ties with Russian interests.

Russian imperial flag : « Gulf of Morbihan Week 2025 » (May 26 to June 1, 2025)

6.3. The Shtandart, Vladimir Martus, and Russian interests

Martus claims to be an “opponent” of the Russian regime. In fact, he is close to the Russian regime and its propaganda outlets. The following is the documented and sourced result of the “No Shtandart for Europe” collective 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).

It is also important to examine this paper by the Ouest-France Bretagne editorial team.

• Ouest-France, 29/03/2024 – Who is the captain of the Shtandart, Putin’s opponent or propagandist, invited to Brittany?

Additionally, it is worth reading:

• 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 “Shtandart” sues the European Union over sanctions (Ru)

In Russia, the “Kombat-Tour” agency is promoting the Shtandart‘s illegal commercial activities on the coasts of Western Europe: Открыт набор в Комбат-тур!

If, as Vladimir Martus says, the Shtandart is short on cash, one question arises: Who is paying for the frenzy of legal action launched by “Martus TV GmbH” and Vladimir Martus against the French authorities, the sanctions, and the European institutions?

The Shtandart is clearly “a ship owned, controlled, chartered or operated by persons connected with Russia”. Its actual flag is Russian.This is typical of ships belonging to the SHADOW FLEET of Russian vessels circumventing the sanctions against Russia. This evidence is reinforced by the fact that the Shtandart disables its AIS. 

I would be delighted to answer any further questions, either in writing or over the telephone.

Bernard Grua, Nantes, Brittany, France
Spokesperson