Russian vessel reportedly seized within the English Channel

LONDON — France on Saturday intercepted and seized a Russian vessel within the English Channel in step with new EU sanctions in opposition to Moscow, in line with a number of media studies.

The cargo ship was sure for St. Petersburg and was transporting automobiles, however French sea police redirected the vessel to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.

It’s “strongly suspected of being linked to Russian pursuits focused by the sanctions,” mentioned Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture, in line with Reuters, with studies that the ship is owned by a Russian businessman who’s on the EU’s checklist of sanctioned inviduals.

Experiences say that the vessel known as the “Baltic Chief” and the crew have been cooperating with the authorities.

The Russian RIA news agency said that the Russian embassy in France had instantly contacted the French authorities for clarification.

The US and its European allies have determined to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately as a result of Russia invasion of Ukraine this week. The EU additionally has a wider checklist of Russian people which might be topic to penalties.

Additionally on Thursday, EU leaders backed an one other batch of sanctions that look to focus on strategic sectors of the Russian economic system, by blocking entry to key applied sciences and markets.

They may also look to “weaken Russia’s financial base and its capability to modernize” and “freeze Russian property within the EU and cease the entry of Russian banks to the European monetary market,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“What we face is an unprecedented act of aggression by the Russian management in opposition to a sovereign, impartial nation,” von der Leyen mentioned Thursday.

“Russia’s goal isn’t just Donbass, the goal isn’t just Ukraine, the goal is stability in Europe and the entire worldwide rules-based order. For that, we’ll maintain Russia accountable.”

In the meantime in Kyiv on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the capital had managed to repel Russian assaults in a single day and his military was nonetheless in management.

Street fighting took place in Kyiv with Russian forces closing in on the town. Ukraine blew up bridges main into Kyiv in an effort to forestall Russian troops from infiltrating the capital.

—CNBC’s Silvia Amaro contributed to this text.