Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian-owned expedition cruise ship in the Arctic as part of efforts to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation award granted to Ukraine’s state energy company, Naftogaz.
The vessel, Professor Molchanov, was seized on Wednesday near Norway’s Arctic archipelago of Svalbard following a 24-hour standoff with the Norwegian Coast Guard.
Naftogaz said the action was linked to a 2023 arbitration ruling in The Hague ordering Russia to compensate the company for assets it lost in Crimea following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014. The compensation amount, including interest and legal costs, has reached about $4.22 billion.
The Ukrainian energy company said the seizure was part of a broader international effort to enforce the arbitration award and recover compensation from Russian assets.
“Russia cannot evade responsibility simply by refusing to comply with an international arbitral award,” Naftogaz Acting Chief Executive Sergii Fedorenko said.
Naftogaz added that it would continue pursuing Russian assets in other countries until the compensation is paid.
Russia has strongly rejected the seizure. A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry described Norway’s action as “piracy,” while Russian Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov said Moscow would challenge the decision.
The Professor Molchanov, a Russian-owned commercial vessel, had been operating expedition cruises, including trips to Svalbard. Naftogaz’s legal representatives said they had been monitoring the ship for several months.
Passengers aboard the vessel are being handled by Norwegian authorities, according to Naftogaz.
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