Norway seizes Russian ship in Arctic over Crimea compensation claim

Moscow challenges Norway’s seizure of vessel, the Professor Molchanov, calling it an act of piracy.

Expedition cruise ship tourists explore the Bockfjorden's shore. Bockfjorden, Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard, Norway [File: Sergio Pitamitz / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]

Norway has seized a Russian ship in ⁠the Arctic to ⁠enforce a compensation claim by Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz, linked to Russian asset seizures in Crimea.

Norway seized the ship on Wednesday, after Moscow failed to pay Naftogaz $4.22bn plus interest and legal costs to compensate for ⁠assets it seized in ⁠Crimea after a tribunal ruling at The Hague in 2023.

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In a post on X, Naftogaz said the seizure made up “part of global efforts to enforce the arbitral award obtained by Naftogaz against the Russian Federation in connection with the unlawful expropriation of their assets in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014”.

The vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was taken off the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard after a 24-hour standoff with the Norwegian Coast Guard, according ⁠to Covington, the US law firm representing Naftogaz.⁠

Russian state news agency TASS quoted a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson as calling the Norwegian action “piracy”.

Alexei Chekunkov, Russia’s ⁠minister for the development of the Russian ⁠Far East and Arctic, ⁠said Moscow would challenge the ruling.

Chekunkov called Norway’s seizure of the Professor Molchanov “another ‌example of Western countries’ legal nihilism and lawlessness,” according to the ‌Interfax ‌news agency.

Naftogaz has been pursuing legal action against Russia since 2016 to seek compensation for the expropriation of its property in Crimea.

“Russia cannot evade responsibility simply by refusing to comply with an international arbitral award,” said Naftogaz Acting CEO Sergii Fedorenko.

“We will continue to pursue Russian assets around the world until the compensation ‌awarded ‌to Naftogaz and other Naftogaz Group companies is paid,” the Ukrainian company said.

Covington, the law firm, said it had been tracking the Professor Molchanov, a Russian-owned vessel that is used for commercial cruises, for months.

The ship was being used for commercial expedition cruises, including to Svalbard, according to the company.

Naftogaz said the passengers on board are being handled by Norwegian authorities.

莫斯科对挪威扣押“莫尔恰诺夫教授”号船只提出质疑，称其为海盗行为。

探险游轮游客正在探索博克峡湾的海岸线。博克峡湾，斯匹次卑尔根岛，斯瓦尔巴群岛，挪威。[图片：Sergio Pitamitz / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]

挪威在北极扣押了一艘俄罗斯船只，以强制执行乌克兰能源公司Naftogaz提出的赔偿要求，该要求与俄罗斯在克里米亚的资产扣押有关。

挪威周三扣押了这艘船，此前莫斯科未能向挪威石油天然气公司支付 42.2 亿美元外加利息和诉讼费用，以补偿其在 2023 年海牙法庭裁决后在克里米亚扣押的资产。

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在 X 网站上的一篇帖子中，Naftogaz 表示，此次扣押是“为执行 Naftogaz 针对俄罗斯联邦就其在克里米亚的资产被俄罗斯非法征用而获得的仲裁裁决而采取的全球行动的一部分，俄罗斯于 2014 年非法吞并了克里米亚”。

据代表挪威石油天然气公司（Naftogaz）的美国律师事务所科温顿（Covington）称，在与挪威海岸警卫队对峙24小时后，“莫尔恰诺夫教授”号（Professor Molchanov）渔船被拖离挪威北极斯瓦尔巴群岛。

俄罗斯国家通讯社塔斯社援引外交部发言人的话说，挪威的行动是“海盗行为”。

俄罗斯远东和北极发展部长阿列克谢·切昆科夫表示，莫斯科将对裁决提出质疑。

据国际文传电讯社报道，切昆科夫称挪威扣押莫尔恰诺夫教授是“西方国家法律虚无主义和无法无天的又一例证”。

自 2016 年以来，Naftogaz 一直在对俄罗斯提起诉讼，要求赔偿其在克里米亚的财产被征用造成的损失。

“俄罗斯不能仅仅通过拒绝遵守国际仲裁裁决来逃避责任，”俄罗斯石油天然气公司代理首席执行官谢尔盖·费多连科表示。

“我们将继续在全球范围内追查俄罗斯资产，直到支付给乌克兰石油天然气公司和其他乌克兰石油天然气集团公司的赔偿金为止，”这家乌克兰公司表示。

律师事务所 Covington 表示，他们已经追踪“莫尔恰诺夫教授号”数月之久，这是一艘俄罗斯所有的用于商业游轮的船只。

据该公司称，该船曾用于商业探险巡航，包括前往斯瓦尔巴群岛的航线。

挪威石油天然气公司表示，机上乘客正由挪威当局处理。