War in Ukraine: a Russian cargo ship with seven sailors has been stuck in Saint-Malo for two years

Emmanuel Macron will be in Prague, in the Czech Republic, on Tuesday, to discuss in particular support for Ukraine. Two years after the start of the war, the head of state wants to show Vladimir Putin that Western pressure is still strong. Moreover, the sanctions taken against Moscow are still in force. There are restrictions on Russian oil and gas, but also the freezing of the assets of Kremlin dignitaries, like these two cargo ships from a shipping company in which the Russian Minister of Transport has been a shareholder since March 1, 2022. They are immobilized in France with a guard crew in the port of Marseille, the other in Saint-Malo.

“We also condemn a crew”

In Brittany, Laure Tallonneau had never seen this. For two years, the Vladimir Latyshev and its seven Russian sailors have been stuck at the port of Saint-Malo. A grotesque situation for this inspector at the Transport Workers’ Federation. “We freeze a ship, but we also condemn a crew. We don’t know how long the sanctions will last,” she declared.

On board, there is also great uncertainty. Of course, the crew is supplied, paid and can leave the cargo ship, but despite a change every six months, time passes slowly. Vitali, second officer, is starting to get impatient. “Staying here every day is very difficult, but I need money, so I work. We have no information. Maybe that will change tomorrow, in a month or in a year” , declared the Russian on the microphone of Europe 1.

An equally vague timetable for Stéphane Perrin Sarzier, the vice-president of the Brittany region, in charge of this very cumbersome situation. “We are suffering from the events. We had asked that this boat be put in a state port. We did not get a response. The shipowner pays the bills for us and if he did not pay, there would be charges “It doesn’t generate profit. But it’s true that it’s a form of paradox,” declared the vice-president of the Brittany region. Each month, the Russian shipowner pays 10,000 euros in port occupancy costs.