France seizes ship suspected of violating sanctions against Russia

The vessel is mentioned in a United States Treasury document detailing U.S. sanctions against Russia, which linked it to a Russian leasing company

Russian cargo ship Baltic Leader is seen after it was diverted for allegedly violating EU-imposed sanctions on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine, in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, February 26, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

French sea police seized a ship on Saturday that authorities suspect belongs to a Russian company targeted by European Union sanctions over the war in Ukraine, a government official told Reuters.

The cargo vessel transporting cars, which was headed for St. Petersburg, is "strongly suspected of being linked to Russian interests targeted by the sanctions," said Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture.