The case

The Russian training ship Ts Shtandart bound for Palermo: it will not be allowed to dock

The change of flag and the anomalies in the vessel's management: everything that does not add up about the Ts Shtandart, which is currently off the coast of Pantelleria but cannot dock in Palermo because of the sanction regime established by the Union

by Letizia Giostra

6 May 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

A replica of the tsar's frigate
Property and flag doubts
What the EU regulation says
Magi's questions and the Coast Guard's response

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

There is a vessel in Italian waters that has become a diplomatic case. It is the Ts Shtandart, a school ship flying the flag of the Cook Islands and currently located off the island of Pantelleria, but which until June 2024 was flying the Russian flag and therefore - given the sanctions package against Russia - could not dock.

The issue had already been raised ten days ago by the international activist collective No Shtandart in Europe, which fights for the respect of EU sanctions against Russia. They were joined by +Europa secretary Riccardo Magi, who asked the government to block the vessel's arrival. Responding to his appeal was Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini: 'There are laws, the Coast Guard respects the laws. There is nothing to invent'.

A replica of the Tsar's frigate

A training ship of yesteryear, she sails the oceans for training exercises for her pupils. Inaugurated in 1998, the Ts Shtandart is a faithful reconstruction of the frigate of the same name that led Tsar Peter the Great's fleet in the Baltic in the 18th century. While there are no doubts about the vessel's history, there are some anomalies regarding its management and flag.

Doubts about ownership and the flag

The Ts Shtandart is 80% managed by Vladimir Martus, commander of the vessel and administrator of the company Martus TV GmbH, even though for almost two years, it has been registered in the name of Mariia Martus, Vladimir's daughter and a citizen with dual Russian and Finnish passports. The accounts therefore do not add up, considering the daughter's attempted registration in 2024, the year in which the vessel also changed flag from Russian to that of the Cook Islands.

What the EU regulation says

The stricture is clear and leaves no room for doubt: the vessel cannot sail in Italian waters due to the stringent rules dictated by EU Regulation No. 883/2014 that deny berthing at European ports for Russian ships. The sanctions regime was triggered following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

No Russian-flagged ship can therefore request to dock in Europe, even if it has - as in the case of the Ts Shtandart - reflagged. This is not an isolated case, as already last year several EU member states, including Spain and France, banned the vessel from entering their ports.

The TS Shtandart had been lost track of since 30 September last year. The last tracking reported it between Spain and Africa, but since then no sign of the vessel's routes.

The case raised by Magi (+Europa)

Turning the spotlight on the case was the secretary of +Europa Riccardo Magi who, through his social profiles, called for prompt intervention by the government. At first, the Russian vessel appeared to be headed for Palermo. It should have docked at the port on the evening of Tuesday 4 May, and then remained moored until the 16th. But on this the Coast Guard reassures, announcing that at the moment there are no requests for a stopover by the vessel, which would in any case be denied.