Russia decries Norway's seizure of Arctic research vessel as 'piracy'
Russia's Foreign Ministry called Norway's seizure of a Russian ship at Ukraine's request 'piracy', vowing to challenge the detention.
Russia has formally condemned Norway's detention of one of its vessels, describing the action as an act of "piracy". The ship, named the Professor Molchanov, was seized on Wednesday at the request of the Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz.
The move stems from a long-running legal dispute. Naftogaz has been pursuing compensation from Moscow since 2016 for assets it lost in Crimea following Russia's annexation of the peninsula in 2014. The latest action follows a 2023 ruling by a tribunal in The Hague, which ordered Russia to pay the Ukrainian company $4.22 billion, plus interest and legal costs.
With Moscow failing to settle the amount, Norwegian authorities acted on the claim by detaining the vessel. In response, Alexei Chekunkov, Russia's Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, said Moscow would contest the ruling. He characterised the seizure as "another example of Western countries' legal nihilism and lawlessness," according to the Interfax news agency.
The incident marks a fresh flashpoint in the ongoing legal and diplomatic fallout between Russia and Western nations over the annexation of Crimea.