Norway returns 69 Russians stranded in Arctic after ship arrest
Norwegian authorities helped repatriate the stranded passengers after a court ordered the ship seized to enforce Naftogaz’s $4.22 billion compensation claim.
- On Tuesday, Norway assisted 69 Russian citizens in returning home from Svalbard following the seizure of their cruise ship, with passengers traveling via the Norwegian town of Kirkenes on Tuesday afternoon.
- A Norwegian court ordered the seizure of the Professor Molchanov last week on behalf of Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, which is seeking $4.2 billion in compensation from Russia for assets seized during Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
- Following dialogue with the Russian Federation's consul general in Barentsburg and Trust Arktikugol representatives, the governor of Svalbard coordinated the passengers' departure from the settlement where around 350 Russian and Russian-speaking Ukrainians operate a coal mine.
- Moscow called the seizure a "politically motivated violation of international law" and announced an appeal to the August 31 court decision, as Norwegian authorities defended their obligation to execute the court order.
- The case has escalated tensions between Russia and NATO-member Norway, with a 2023 Hague-based arbitration tribunal having ruled in Naftogaz's favor, though Norwegian courts delayed final decisions on vessel sale to permit Russia to challenge the seizure.
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16 Articles
The Local - No
Norway repatriates 69 Russians from ship seized in Arctic
Norwegian authorities said Tuesday they helped repatriate 69 Russians who got stranded in the Arctic after a Russian ship was seized at the demand of Ukrainian state energy group Naftogaz.
Passengers and parts of the crew of the Russian cruise ship »Professor Molchanov« have returned to their home country. Norway had fixed the ship on the island of Spitsbergen last week.
A group of passengers and crew members of the "Professor Silčanov" vessel arrested on Spitzbergen crossed the Russian-Norwegian border to Murmansk and announced on Tuesday the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zaharova.
Svalbard Seizure: Diplomatic Waves in Arctic Waters
Norway helped 69 Russian citizens return home from Svalbard after their cruise ship was seized due to a legal dispute between a Ukrainian company and Russia. The incident has raised diplomatic tensions, with Russia accusing Norway of 'piracy' and threatening legal action against the vessel's seizure.
The tourists on Spitzbergen and part of the crew of the detained ship Professor Silchanov successfully passed the border control and are now on their way to Murmansk. Russian diplomats and agencies have organized a complex logistical operation for the return of compatriots. People have been transported from Barenzburg by water and air to the Norwegian-Russian border and have been transferred to TASS. Evacuation has been made possible thanks to t…
Norway returns 69 Russians stranded in Arctic after ship arrest
OSLO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Norway said on Tuesday it has assisted 69 Russian citizens in returning to their home country from an Arctic island following the seizure of the small cruise ship they arrived on. A Norwegian court last week ordered the seizu...
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