Norway arrests Russian ship in Svalbard
Professor Molchanov (Photo: Naftogaz)
A Norwegian
court arrested Russian vessel Professor Molchanov on Aug. 31 at the request of
Ukraine’s state oil and gas company Naftogaz. The ship is used for commercial
expedition cruises in the Barents Sea.
In a statement released on Sept. 2, Naftogaz said the arrest is intended to enforce an arbitration award requiring Russia to pay $4.22 billion, plus interest and costs, for the unlawful seizure of Naftogaz assets in occupied Crimea.
Under the court’s ruling, the vessel may not leave its current location at the port of Barentsburg in Svalbard.
“This is another important step toward restoring justice,” said Sergii Fedorenko, acting chairman of the Naftogaz board.
“We will continue searching for Russian assets around the world until the compensation awarded to Naftogaz and other [Naftogaz] Group companies is paid.”
In June, Reuters reported that a Swedish court had
ordered the transfer to Ukraine of the Russian dry cargo vessel Caffa, which
had been transporting grain from Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by
Russia. The Guinean-flagged vessel was detained in Swedish territorial waters
in the Baltic Sea in March.
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