Despite Sanctions and War in Ukraine, France Allows Russian 'Tsar' Frigate to Dock in its Port

The French authorities have allowed the Russian vessel Standart, a replica of the frigate of Tsar Peter the Great, to dock in their port despite sanctions imposed due to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

This was reported by RTBF with reference to AFP.

According to AFP, the Standard arrived in the port city of La Rochelle, on the southwest coast of France, on the night of Tuesday, 6 August, to replenish supplies and refuel.

'It arrived on Monday morning and left on Tuesday afternoon,' a source told the news agency, adding that it was unclear where the ship would go next.

Permission to call at La Rochelle was to be granted by the authorities of the Charente-Maritime department. They officially declined to comment, but an AFP source said it was a "technical stop" and there were allegedly no grounds for the ban.

Russian ships are generally banned from entering EU ports due to sanctions.

The Standart was built in 1999 and is an exact replica of a frigate that belonged to Peter the Great.

Last month, the ship was banned from entering the French city of Brest and participating in a local maritime festival.

The Standard was once a favourite at European maritime festivals and was often used for cruises and training. The vessel, which used to fly the Russian tricolour, changed it to the Cook Islands flag in the spring.