The training ship TS Shtandart , which is believed to be Russian-owned despite flying the Cook Islands flag, is cruising off the coast of Pantelleria and "has Palermo and then Cagliari on its navigation plan." This is "a clear violation of the sanctions regime established by the European Union following Russian aggression against Ukraine."
+Europa Secretary Riccardo Magi reported the incident, asking the government and authorities for reassurance that the vessel will not dock in Italian ports. Reassurances were received from the Coast Guard, which explained in a statement: "At present , there are no requests for the aforementioned vessel to dock in Italian ports . Such docking, if requested, would be prohibited in European ports, in accordance with the current EU Regulation 833/2014 and subsequent amendments and additions."
But +Europa emphasized that the vessel "has been reported off the coast of Pantelleria, and the navigation plan, which includes docking in the port of Palermo, remains confirmed on their website. Indeed, compared to this morning, the crew of the vessel, whose transponder is turned off, has also added a stop in Cagliari, to depart again on May 16th." Hence the request to monitor the situation, because "allowing it to dock would not only constitute a technical violation of the rules, but an unacceptable sign of political weakness and a lack of respect for the victims of the ongoing conflict. The EU regulation," Magi continued, " in fact prohibits access to the ports of member states to all ships registered under the Russian flag or those attempting to circumvent these restrictions through changes of registry or opaque corporate management."
The Shtandart vessel currently flies the flag of the Cook Islands, but until June 2024, according to the vessel's registration certificate, it was flying the Russian flag. Launched in 1998, the Shtandart is a reconstruction of the frigate of the same name that led Tsar Peter the Great's fleet in the Baltic in the 18th century. The ship is reportedly linked to a management structure 80% owned by Vladimir Martus, Russian shipowner and commander of the TS Shtandart, although for nearly two years the vessel has been registered in the name of Mariia Martus, Vladimir's daughter.
Given its alleged links to Moscow, several European Union member states, including Spain and France, banned the vessel from entering their ports during 2025.
(Unioneonline)
