The Kombat-Tour company, based in Smolensk (Russia), which is promoting “Family cruise” aboard the frigate Shtandart along the Breton coast, has been formally warned of the existing bans affecting this operation. It has also been informed of the risk that its clients may be unable to embark or disembark, and may even be detained by law enforcement authorities.
To the attention of:
Management of Kombat Tour
4B Kommunisticheskaya Street
Smolensk
Russia
+7 906 668-45-55
info@kombat-tour.ru
org@kombat-tour.ru
Cc:
Premar-CECLANT – Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, Commander-in-Chief for the Atlantic
Prefect of Finistère
Prefect of Côtes-d’Armor
Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine
Subject: Kombat Tour – Legal risks related to voyages aboard the TS Shtandart within European waters
November 6, 2025
Dear Sir or Madam,
Your company, Kombat Tour, based in Smolensk (Russia), is promoting sailing trips aboard the TS Shtandart (MMSI nº 518999255). Among others, the following excursion has been advertised:
21–30 June 2026 — FRIGATE “SHTANDART” — Family sea cruise along the French Atlantic coast, from La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) to Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), via Belle-Île-en-Mer (Morbihan), Camaret-sur-Mer (Finistère), and Île-aux-Moines / the Sept Îles (Côtes-d’Armor).
https://kombat-tour.ru/tours/fregat-shtandart
https://vk.com/wall-21985_18938
The purpose of this letter is to inform your company of the European legal restrictions that may affect such services, in order to help you avoid potential disputes with your clients. Those clients may be unable to embark or disembark, or could even be detained by law enforcement authorities, as happened in Portugal at the end of September 20251.
On 7 July 2024, the Prefect of Finistère issued a decree2 enforcing the European ban in all ports of the department (including Camaret-sur-Mer). Similar decrees were issued for the Côtes-d’Armor3 (including Île-aux-Moines) and Ille-et-Vilaine4 (including Saint-Malo). Furthermore, the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture prohibits Russian vessels under sanctions from entering the Bay of Douarnenez, the Brest narrows, and the Brest roadstead.
On 11 July 2024, the TS Shtandart filed a legal challenge before the Administrative Court of Rennes against the Finistère Prefect’s decree5. The appeal was dismissed. That same day, the maritime authorities dispatched a patrol vessel to prevent the Russian ship from forcing entry into the Brest narrows6. On 18 November 2024, the French Council of State confirmed this decision7.
On 22 August 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union, in Order T-446/24, confirmed the validity of the port entry ban for Russian vessels, including historical replicas, throughout the European Union8. This decision, following the previous rulings, is final and not subject to appeal.
Additionally, the authorities of the United Kingdom9 10 and Norway11 announced equivalent restrictions during the summer of 2025. Therefore, Captain Vladimir Martus’s vessel has no legal justification to navigate freely along European coasts, unless it can prove a direct route to a Russian port in the Baltic, Barents, or White Seas. Consequently, according to Montego Bay convention, it has no serious grounds to demand stopovers in European ports.
It should also be recalled that the TS Shtandart has been banned from Spanish territorial waters since 27 July 2024 [12]12 and from Portuguese waters since late September 2025 [13]13. Similar action could soon be taken by Ireland14 15 and Denmark 16, following unannounced and unauthorized port calls in July 2025.
In France, despite occasional cooperation from certain local authorities with Russian interests17, a similar measure cannot be ruled out.
The ship’s captain may once again invoke the presence of children on board in order to obtain port access — a strategy observed in Vigo in July 2022. While European maritime authorities act with prudence and empathy, this method is now well known and anticipated.
Passenger disembarkation would be allowed, but the risk of the TS Shtandart being detained at berth, as occurred in Saint Petersburg between 200718 and 200919, should not be underestimated. Any further commercial operations would then become impossible to carry out.
Consequently, I strongly advise your company not to advertise or accept bookings, deposits, or payments for any cruises or voyages aboard the TS Shtandart within European waters.
It would be more prudent to focus activities on areas not affected by such restrictions, such as:
- the Turkish coast, which remains very popular with Russian tourists;
- the ports of Montenegro, welcoming an affluent Russian clientele for parties, events and short cruises;
- or Tunisia, whose ports — Tabarka, Bizerte, Sidi Bou Saïd, Mahdia, Djerba, etc. offer picturesque anchorages in a rich historical setting.
Tunisia also maintains a living tradition of wooden shipbuilding, allowing maintenance and repairs at significantly lower cost than in Western Europe20. Moreover, “pirate ship” excursions are highly popular there21; the TS Shtandart, with its authenticity, could occupy a premium niche in this market.
Thank you for your attention. Please feel free to contact me should you require any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Bernard Grua
Nantes, Brittany, France
Former Naval Officer
Contributions to Russia Beyond — cultural reports on Siberia and Lake Baikal [22]22
Notes
- Delfi, 26/09/2025 – В Португалии задержаны члены экипажа российского парусника « Штандарт »: среди задержанных — россиянин из Латвии (26) ↩︎
- Préfet du Finistère, 07/07/2024 – Arrêté préfectoral appliquant l’interdiction européenne aux ports du département ↩︎
- Actu.fr, 03/07/2025 — Côtes-d’Armor : Une frégate russe, interdite d’accoster en France, aperçue dans une baie ↩︎
- Le Télégramme, 19/06/2025 — « Il a toujours interdiction d’entrer » : le « Shtandart » devra stationner au mouillage à l’extérieur du port de Saint-Malo. ↩︎
- Tribunal administratif de Rennes, 11 juillet 2024 – Rejet du référé contre l’arrêté du préfet du Finistère ↩︎
- Le Télégramme, 11/07/2024 – Dans l’attente de la décision de justice, le Shtandart patiente à l’entrée de la rade de Brest sous bonne escorte ↩︎
- Conseil d’Etat, 18/11/2024 – Arrêt rejetant le pourvoi du Shtandart contre l’ordonnance du tribunal administratif de Rennes ↩︎
- Court of Justice of the European Union, 22/08/2025 – Order in Case T-446/24 ↩︎
- TASS, 17/07/2025 – Консульство РФ назвало абсурдом запрет кораблю « Штандарт » зайти в порт ↩︎
- TASS, 18/07/2025 – Russia’s Consulate General slams banning frigate Shtandart from entering Scottish harbor ↩︎
- Sail Training International, 15/07/2025 – Statement regarding shtandart’s participation in the Tall Ships Races 2025 ↩︎
- El Mundo, 27/07/2024 — Expulsan de aguas españolas a un velero ruso que fondeó en Galicia sin permiso. ↩︎
- Autoridad Marítima Nacional (AMN), 24/09/2025 – Marítima Nacional monitoriza veleiro TS SHTANDART ao longo da costa portuguesa ↩︎
- The Journal.ie, 08/07/2025 – TD (Irish MP) calls for ‘Russian’ replica sailing ship to be removed from Irish waters off Dublin ↩︎
- The Journal, 09/07/2025 – Controversial ‘Russian’ replica sailing ship leaves Irish waters (but not before garda visit) ↩︎
- tvSyd, 07/08/2025 – Formodet russisk spionskib lå flere dage i dansk havn: Kaptajn Vladimir hemmeligholdt besøge ↩︎
- Desk Russie, 28/09/2025 – Quand le navire russe Shtandart et La Rochelle défient les sanctions européennes ↩︎
- Komsomolskaya Pravda, 21/09/2007 – Символ города фрегат «Штандарт» признали кучей дров ↩︎
- Komsomolskaya Pravda, 04/11/2009 – «Штандарт» поступает нестандартно ↩︎
- Bernard Grua, 31/05/2021 : Kerkennah (Tunisie) : les chantiers traditionnels du vieux port d’El Attaya ↩︎
- Pirate activities, Djerba, 2025 ↩︎
- Articles published by Bernard Grua in the Russian state cultural magazine Russia Beyond:
– « Méconnue mais fascinante: la Sibérie au gré des sept clichés les plus prisés d’un voyageur nantais », Russia Beyond, 8 novembre 2020
– « Vallée sibérienne de la Tounka: fascinante héritière des Mongols et observatrice des corps célestes », Russia Beyond, 3 avril 2019
– « Botogol: la mine perdue d’un Français dans les monts Saïan sibériens », Russia Beyond, 9 septembre 2018 ↩︎
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Страница Комбат-Туры
Комбат-Туры
Комбат-Туры предлагает семейный круиз на фрегате «Штандарт» в июне 2026 года. Этот рейс нарушает санкции ЕС и может привести к задержанию участников.

































