The Russian frigate “Standart” was traditionally denied entry to a French port

France has not allowed a three-masted Russian sailboat to stop in Le Havre. The public has recalled that the vessel regularly violates EU sanctions.

The Russian sailboat “Standart”, which planned to stop in the port of Le Havre on May 4, changed course and headed for the island of Aix, in the department of Charente-Maritime. This is reported by Paris Normandie.

This step took place against the backdrop of a wave of protests and public outrage in France over the appearance of a vessel associated with the Russian authorities.

Although there was no official confirmation from the administration of the port of Haropa about the stop of the “Standart”, its appearance provoked a sharp reaction from the collective Non au Shtandart en Europe (“No to the “Standard” in Europe”). Representatives of the group, which includes about 60 public organizations, stated that the vessel “has been moored in French ports for more than three years, violating European sanctions imposed after the Russian massacres in Buch.”

After stops in Les Sables-d’Olonne and La Rochelle, where the crew cited “health conditions on board” to justify the need to dock, the Standard headed towards Normandy. However, upon reaching the Breton coast, it suddenly changed direction, avoiding meeting with activists.

The Standard is a three-masted frigate, which is a replica of a ship that belonged to the Russian Tsar Peter I. The ship was built in 1999. Until June 2024, the frigate sailed under the Russian flag, until it changed it to the Cook Islands flag.

Previously, the Russian Federation has consistently promoted the sailboat at European maritime festivals. One such event is held in Brest, France. Russians were banned from entering Brest and participating in the festival last month.

Also, as USM wrote, Zelensky recently imposed sanctions against the largest LNG producer and exporter in Russia.