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It has been almost two months since Russia started the war in Ukraine, and almost two months also since a Russian cargo ship is blocked at the quay in the port of Saint-Malo (Ille et Vilaine). On board, a crew of 12 people, and every day, it costs thousands of euros, but who pays the bill?
For nearly two months, they have been clogging up French ports. In Saint-Malo (Ille et Vilaine), Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais), Russian cargo ships carrying cars or chemicals. They were intercepted by customs, their owners targeted by the sanctions imposed on Russia. While waiting for the end of the war in Ukraine, what to do with these sucker boats?
The Vladimir Latyshev in Saint-Malo is 141 meters long, it barely fits on the quays. And regularly, it must be moved, to make room for other boats. So far, nearly 50,000 euros have been spent on a single boat, largely borne by the Brittany region, which is requesting state aid. And what about the quarantine of Russian sailors, on board the boats for 50 days. Impossible to approach them, the ships are inaccessible. For their meals, sailors depend entirely on their employer.