France intercepts Russia-bound cargo ship, Russia responds
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The cargo vessel was loaded with cars heading to the Baltic port city of Saint Petersburg.
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According to the regional prefecture, the incident is a sign of "firmness".
After the EU sanctioned Russia, officials on Saturday announced that French naval forces intercepted in the Channel a cargo ship en route to Russia.
The Russian-flagged Baltic Leader, which had set sail from Rouen, was escorted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer by French authorities, according to the maritime prefecture.
According to Veronique Magnin of the regional prefecture, the vessel was halted by a French customs patrol vessel backed up by a police surveillance ship and a naval patrol boat. The vessel is suspected to belong to a corporation that was included in the sanctions.
Magnin said the 417-foot vessel is "strongly suspected of being linked to Russian interests targeted by sanctions," adding that the interception incident, despite being rare, is a sign of "firmness".
According to a representative for the Russian Embassy in Paris, the boat's captain called the Embassy, which subsequently contacted French authorities to request an explanation for the occurrence.
Russia confirms, responds
The Russian Embassy in France confirmed to Sputnik that a Russian cargo ship was intercepted in the English Channel on Saturday and that the consular section has demanded an explanation from French authorities.
According to the embassy, it "got an emergency call from the captain of the Russian cargo ship, in which he reported the interception of the vessel by the French authorities in the English Channel," noting that its consular department had contacted the French authorities for clarification.
According to the diplomatic mission, the results will later be announced.
French radio station France Bleu claimed, citing the country's maritime prefecture, that the Russian warship was authorized to travel in French territorial waters. According to the station, the Russian cargo ship Baltic Leader was apparently hauling automobiles from the French city of Rouen.
Russian Foreign Ministry: A strong response to sanctions is due
Days ago, the Russian Foreign Ministry of Russia vowed a strong response to the western sanctions.
Today, in response to European Union sanctions, the Russian space agency withdrew its experts from the Kourou space station and suspended the launch of Soyuz missiles.
On Friday, the EU Council of Foreign Ministers approved the second package of EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.
On Thursday, Russia launched a special operation to demilitarize Ukraine, responding to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for help in countering the aggression of the Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.
