Dated 3 January 2025, a letter from Michel Balique, president of Les Amis des Grands Voiliers — Sail Training Association France, provides a remarkable summary of the rhetoric used against activists opposing the Russian ship Shtandart’s failure to comply with sanctions over the past three years.
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How did « Les Amis des Grands Voiliers – Sail Training Association France » deviate from its mandate and damage its reputation by promoting an illicit circumvention of EU sanctions ?
Michel Balique ridiculed and discredited Les Amis des Grands Voiliers primarily by converting its platform into a pro‑Shtandart lobbying machine, repeatedly dodging substantive legal critique, and replacing it with rhetorical excess and personal invective. The result, according to critics, was to tarnish the association’s founders’ intentions and academic legitimacy, presenting it as complicit in illicit circumvention of EU sanctions.
Pourquoi le navire sous sanctions “Shtandart » fait-il partie de la flotte fantôme russe ?
Le Shtandart MMSI 518999255, un navire sous sanctions, prétend ne pas être sous pavillon russe, être géré par une société allemande et appartenir à une citoyenne finlandaise. Si l’on ajoute à cela le fait qu’il déconnecte fréquemment son système d’identification automatique (AIS), il apparaît clairement qu’il s’agit d’un montage destiné à contourner les sanctions et d’un navire appartenant à la flotte fantôme russe. Pendant ce temps, afin d’alimenter l’indignation et la haine du public contre les autorités et les institutions, le skipper et propriétaire caché du Shtandart prétend que c’est parce qu’il est « un jour né en Russie » que son navire est sanctionné.
Why is the sanctioned ship ‘Shtandart’ part of the Russian shadow fleet?
The Shtandart MMSI 518999255, a Russian vessel under sanctions, claims not to be under a Russian flag, to be managed by a German company, and to be owned by a Finnish citizen. Given that it frequently disconnects its AIS, it is clear that this is a set-up designed to circumvent the sanctions, and that the Shtandart is a vessel belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. Meanwhile, in order to fuel public outrage and hatred against the authorities and the institutions, the Shtandart’s skipper and hidden owner pretends that it is because he was « once born in Russia » that his ship is sanctioned.
Why will, very soon, the sanctioned ship « Shtandart » represent Russian interests in Norway?
Vladimir Martus, the Russian fraudster who is the skipper and hidden owner of the Shtandart, delivered his usual stream of lies to the Norwegian Directorate for Export Control and Sanctions. But he did even better than that. He placed himself on an equal footing with the Norwegian authorities. He reserved, for himself, the right to act as he wishes, according to his ‘interpretation’ of the law or to his fallacious presentation of the ‘spirit of the sanctions policy’. We have sent a letter detailing what this outlaw is trying to hide, and debunking the disinformation spread by this Moscow propaganda agent. It is high time that this vatnik and his gopniks gang are firmly reminded that Norway is neither Russia nor Ukrainian territory occupied by the Russian army.
A debunking of the main false allegations produced by the sanctioned Russian ship « Shtandart »
For more than three years, the fictional story of the Russian ship Shtandart, which was designed to circumvent sanctions imposed as a result of Russia’s criminal aggression against Ukraine, has been protean. It is constantly fed to maximise confusion. Here, we will focus on debunking the most commonly used misinformation from the summer of 2025.
« No Shtandart in Europe » répond à la lettre du ministère britannique des transports concernant le navire russe sous sanctions « Shtandart ».
No Shtandart in Europe » souhaite remercier le ministère britannique des transports pour sa lettre aimable et détaillée du 18 juillet 2025, et porter à son attention quelques informations précieuses. Cela concerne le navire russe sous sanctions Shtandart, MMSI : 518999255.
‘No Shtandart in Europe’ responds to the letter from the UK Department for Transport about the sanctioned Russian ship « Shtandart »
‘No Shtandart in Europe’ would like to thank the UK Department for Transport for its kind and detailed letter of 18 July 2025, and to bring to its attention some valuable information. This concerns the sanctioned Russian ship Shtandart (MMSI: 518999255).
Alert! Potential illegal stopover of Russian ship « Shtandart » at Scapa Pier, Orkney Islands, 17 july 2025
The Russian vessel Shtandart (MMSI: 518999255), which has been sailing under the flag of convenience of the Cook Islands since 6 June 2024, disconnected its AIS five hours ago (17 July 2025, 07:39 UTC, 08:39 UK time) after entering Scapa Bay in the Orkney Islands. It is suspected that the aim is to make an illegal landing at Scapa Pier, as happened at Clogherhead in Ireland and Inverie in Scotland.
Why does the Russian ship « Shtandart » fall under United Kingdom sanctions?
We have read the open letter written by the Russian citizen Vladimir Martus, skipper of the Shtandart (MMSI: 518999255) to Aberdeen Port Authorities.
His account does not present a fair vision of the situation. Having spent three years investigating this complex case of sanctions evasion, we are confident that we can provide you with a well-researched and evidenced demonstration of why the Shtandart is relevant to UK port sanctions.
The "Shtandart" In Europe 