It is being reported that the French port of Brest has barred the Russian vessel Shtandart from entering thereby enforcing the EU’s prohibition on Russian vessel entering EU ports.
The vessel has been re-flagged to the Cook Islands but remains operated by Russians. It is a modern replica of a frigate of Tsar Peter the Great which was sailing to Brest to take part in the Maritime Festival.
The same report notes that the vessel had previously been in another French port at La Rochelle.
Further to our earlier posts about the detention and subsequent release of the vessel the Atlantic Navigator II which carried, amongst other cargo, birch timber of Russian origin into the German port of Rostock.
It is now being reported that the Captain of the vessel has received a fine which he was directed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to pay to the charity Human Rights Watch.
The fine was €8,000, which no doubt reflects the fact that the vessel only entered German waters after experiencing technical difficulties.
On Friday the Customs office in Frankfurt raided and searched 24 residential and business premises mostly in Offenbach am Main and Aschaffenburg although Customs said the network extended across Germany. Four individuals were arrested. The actions were part of an investigation into the suspected export of luxury cars to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The individuals arrested were aged between 39 and 44 with one woman and three men.
The allegation is that 170 luxury cars had been exported since 2022.
Five cars were seized as part of the raids along with evidence and €300,000 in cash. In addition a freezing order was obtained over €13.3m in bank accounts said to be the profits from the enterprise.
The German authorities have been particularly active in enforcement related to luxury cars of late:
Now updated from the post first published on 28 June.
It is being reported (behind a paywall) that the Malopolska Customs and Tax Office of Krakow has imposed fines of 12 million zloty (c. €2.78m) against Novatek Green Energy and 4 million zloty (c. €927,000) against employee-owned company Geleo.
The fine against Geleo was imposed on 31 May. It was for breach of the relevant asset freeze and for circumvention of Polish sanctions. The transaction in question was the purchase, for €1, of 100% of the shares in Novatek Green Energy from the Swiss company Novatek Gas and Power GmbH, which in turn is a direct subsidiary of the Russian company OAO Novatek.
The fine against Novatek Green Energy was imposed on 25 June, and was imposed for multiple transactions in breach of the imposed asset freeze.
With particular thanks to Dr Marcin Łukowski who provided a copy of the relevant article.
On Wednesday more than 60 officers from customs offices and prosecutors raided seven premises in Germersheim in the Rheinland-Palatinate region.
The investigation relates to the export of approximately 190 luxury cars to Russia valued at €4.5m, with the exports conducted via Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Turkey.
As well as evidence significant amounts of cash were seized and attachment orders have been obtained over bank accounts and real estate.
It is being reported that the Norwegian Coast Guard conducted an investigation in May into possibly unlawful ship-to-ship transfers of fish between a Russian and a Norwegian vessel.
The transfers involve fish caught by the Russian vessel which cannot then land the fish in the EU, and so engages in a ship-to-ship transfer of the fish to a Norwegian vessel which then landed the fish in the Netherlands.
As there are no import prohibitions in the EU in relation to Russian fish, and the relevant prohibition is the entry into an EU port of a Russian vessel, the report notes that the Norwegian authorities concluded that no breach had occurred.
It is being reported that the Italian authorities, upon receipt of information from the US authorities, have conducted an operation in the Mediterranean to seize millions of dollars in unspecified military equipment on board the MSC Arina.
The goods are suspected of being exported to Libya in breach of the arms embargo that forms part of the UN sanctions.
The vessel had departed Shenzen, China in April and was allowed to continue after the cargo in question was removed.
It is being reported that the equipment was destined for General Khalifa’s forces in eastern Libya.
Further to our earlier post, it is being reported that the Italian authorities have today arrested a Russian national on suspicion of providing assistance to Artem Uss who fled Italy after a court had ordered his extradition to the United States to face charges relating to breaches of US sanctions against Venezuela.
The individual has been identified as Dmitry Chirakadze who was arrested at Rome’s airport.
The Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management has announced in a written statement to parliament, that the Dutch government will no longer grant exemptions to the EU’s prohibition on Russian-flagged vessels, or vessels registered with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping from using Dutch ports.
The Dutch had been granting permission for Russian fishing vessels to use Dutch ports based on the “food products” exemption. This practice will now stop with the Minister stating: “Future requests for an exemption for Russian flagged ships will also be assessed negatively”.
Press reports in the Netherland had linked Russian fishing vessels to espionage, but the main reasons given in the statement include:
It is being reported (e.g. here and here) that a number of large Swedish companies have been called to the Foreign Ministry to attend a meeting also attended by a number of other authorities.
The meeting concerned information received by Sweden from the European Commission about exports to Russia which may have been in breach of, or circumvented, the EU’s sanctions.
The companies called to attend the meeting included Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Volvo, SKF and Sandvik.
The companies deny breaches of sanctions.
The Swedish authorities are now considering what further action to take.
