A controversial sailing ship which is a replica of a vessel built by Russia's Peter the Great in the early eighteenth century is anchored off the Irish coast in Killiney Bay.
The Shtandart is an exact copy of the ship built by the Russian Tsar in 1703.
It was built in 1999 and describes itself as "an active sail training ship", under the flag of the Cook Islands.
It has attracted controversy in recent years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Campaigners claim it is a 'Russian' ship, operating under a 'convenience flag' to avoid EU sanctions.
Ukrainian Action in Ireland, an Irish charity working with the Ukrainian community in Ireland, issued a letter to Irish maritime authorities requesting that they "deny entry to Irish ports to the Shtandart".
"We don't want that ship to be welcomed here," explained Anatoliy Prymakov from Ukrainian Action in Ireland.
"We want them to know that Ireland stands with Ukraine. We want them to know you can only parade your ship around Europe once Russia has ceased its war on Ukraine. The ship is a facade for a bloody regime."
The Shtandart dropped anchor in Killiney Bay yesterday, in front of Dalkey's ÉIRE sign, which is one of more than 80 built along the Irish coastline during World War II to alert pilots to neutral territory.
The ship's captain, Vladimir Martus, told RTÉ News that it was sailing from St Malo in France to Aberdeen in Scotland, with 22 people from 12 nations on board.
He said criticism of the ship was "unjust and unfair".
"We are against what Putin is doing and nobody on this ship has ever expressed support for Russia," he said.
"The Shtandart is simply a replica vessel. We are not a Russian vessel. Shtandart is, and always has been, dedicated to education, heritage, and human connection. We are a homeless child in European waters, and we are fighting for survival," he added.
Mr Martus said he expected the vessel to set sail again tomorrow afternoon, and they would need to make a further stopover "somewhere".
The Department of Transport told RTÉ News that it is "aware of the movements of the vessel known as Shtandart".
In a statement, it said the Shtandart "has not entered a pre-arrival notice for entry into an Irish port which is required under EU regulations" and "through third party sources it is understood that the vessel is registered under the Russian flag and would likely fall under the restrictive measures".
The Department says it has been in contact with ports under its remit on the east coast "to ensure appropriate measures are taken".
