Tall Ships Race 2025 Vessels Arrive Aberdeen Amid Russian Ship Ban

The Tall Ships Races 2025 have brought over 50 vessels to Aberdeen for a four-day festival set to attract around 400,000 visitors, featuring ship tours, food stalls, street performances, and a parade of sail. However, the tall ship TS Shtandart has been denied entry to the Port of Aberdeen due to sanctions linked to its Russian-born captain, Vladimir Martus, under UK legislation targeting vessels connected with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Although the ship sails under the Cook Islands flag since June 2024 and has not visited Russia in 15 years, authorities enforced the ban based on the captain's birthplace. Martus, who is a long-term resident and taxpayer in Germany with Ukrainian family ties, expressed his surprise and criticized the decision, highlighting the ship's role as a sail training vessel and an ambassador of peace that fosters international cooperation among youth. The TS Shtandart's exclusion has raised concerns about the misuse of sanctions and the future of sail training in Europe, as the ship remains anchored off the west coast of Scotland with its multinational crew. Meanwhile, local services like the Aberdeen Adventurer open-top bus have adjusted their routes to accommodate road closures during the Tall Ships event.