Russian cargo ship seized in English Channel

France intercepted a Russian ship in the English Channel on Saturday local time in line with the EU's new sanctions against Moscow, CNBC reported .

The report said that the crew of the 127-meter- long ship , known as the "Baltic Leader", is cooperating with the authorities and has now changed its course to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. It is reported that the cargo ship is carrying cars and its destination is St. Petersburg.

The press office of the English Channel Maritime Authority confirmed to NBC News that the vessel "is suspected to belong to a Russian company currently on the EU sanctions list." Regarding this matter , Russia's RIA news agency said that the Russian Embassy in France has immediately contacted the French authorities to seek clarification.

The English Channel Maritime Authority explained that "every night the Coast Guard patrols the area looking for migrants crossing the English Channel. They encountered the Russian ship, inspected it on board and ordered it to return to a French port."

French customs officials are currently investigating the ship to see if it has violated sanctions, NBC News reported .

The United States and its European allies have decided to impose direct sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine this week.

In addition to ocean freighters, cargo flights have also been affected by the conflict. Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for tracking service Flightradar 24, said "dozens" of cargo flights from Anchorage, Alaska, that normally pass through eastern Russia were being rerouted.

Freight company FedEx said on Sunday it had temporarily stopped flights to Russia. The company said in a statement it would continue to provide services within Russia and between Russia and other countries when conditions allow .

Last week, Delta suspended its partnership with Aeroflot shortly after the Russia-Ukraine conflict .

On Thursday, EU leaders backed another batch of sanctions that seek to target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking access to key technologies and markets. They will also seek to "weaken Russia's economic base and its ability to modernize" and "freeze Russian assets in the EU and block Russian banks' access to European financial markets," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Ocean cargo ship

Cargo flights