Russian Embassy To Send Protest Note To France
Paris, Feb 26 (UNI/Sputnik) The decision on the Russian cargo ship detained in the English Channel will be made in court, Russia will take measures to protect the crew and the embassy will send a note of protest to the French foreign ministry over the matter, the Russian Embassy to Paris told Sputnik on Saturday.
Russian cargo ship Baltic Leader was detained on Saturday morning in the English Channel. The vessel had 19 crew members on board. The formal reason for the detention given by France was a customs inspection, the embassy said. “The decision on its future fate will be made in court. The Embassy will send a note of protest to the French Foreign Ministry and take necessary measures to protect the rights and interests of Russian sailors,” the embassy said. The ship was escorted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer by the French coast guard. The French authorities inquired about the documents for the vessel, which turned out to be property of a company allegedly under US sanctions, the embassy said. The vessel is detained, but the crew were allowed to disembark and move freely around the city, according to the embassy.
