26 Feb 2022 22:59

Russian embassy to France protests detention of Russian cargo ship

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) - The Russian embassy in Paris has sent a note of protest to the French Foreign Ministry over the detention of a Russian cargo ship.

"Such a note was sent," the embassy told Interfax.

Russia's ro-ro cargo ship Baltic Leader with 19 crewmembers aboard was detained in France's territorial waters near the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer at 7 a.m. on February 26, the embassy said.

"Customs inspection was named as a formal reason. It turned out later that the French authorities were interested in the documents of the ship which is owned by the PSB Leasing company, which as local coast police say is on the U.S. financial sanctions lists. The ship is now detained," the embassy said.

A court will decide the future of the ship, it said.

"Crewmembers were allowed to freely move in the town," it said.

In turn, the Promsvyazbank's press service denied reports that the PSB Leasing owns the ship. "The Russian trade ship intercepted by the French authorities in the English Channel in the early hours of February 26 does not belong to PSB Leasing. The owner bought in the ship before the sanctions were imposed in line with a leasing agreement," the press service told Interfax.

Promsvyazbank came under U.S. and EU restrictive measure earlier this week.