Naftogaz: Norway has arrested a Russian research vessel for Crimea

Naftogaz continues to attempt to forcibly recover billions from Russia by decision of the Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague for the nationalization of its assets in the Crimea. The Norwegian court agreed to arrest the Russian research vessel.

The vessel Professor Molchanov was arrested in Norway, Naftogaz says.

"The decision was made by the Nur-Trums and Senya District Court on August 31, 2026. The arrest should ensure the execution of the arbitration decision to recover about $ 4.22 billion from Russia, as well as interest and expenses for the illegal seizure of the assets of the Naftogaz group in the annexed Crimea," the Ukrainian national company reports.

They clarified that, by a court decision, the vessel could not leave its place of stay — the port of Barentsburg on Svalbard. According to AIS courts, "Professor Molchanov" is indeed in Barentsburg.

It is known that the research vessel is part of the fleet of the Northern Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Roshydromet and is engaged in research, monitoring and provision of polar stations. "Professor Molchanov" can take on board up to 60 scientific personnel.

The last time the department reported on the vessel was in April.

"On April 12, the Northern UGMS research vessel Professor Molchanov left Arkhangelsk for Murmansk. This is the second flight this year organized jointly with the company "Arktikugol". The vessel will deliver food, equipment and employees for work in the Arctic from the capital of the Arctic to Svalbard. The flight will last about two weeks. A total of 10 flights to the ports of the Russian presence in the Svalbard archipelago are planned this year, as well as two expeditions of the Floating University project. All flights will start from Murmansk, and Professor Molchanov will return to her home port of Arkhangelsk only at the end of navigation in November," the department reported.

As EADaily wrote, on April 12, 2023, the Arbitration Tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordered Russia to pay $ 5 billion in compensation for losses caused by the seizure of assets of Naftogaz Group companies in Crimea in 2014. We are talking about the nationalized Chernomorneftegaz, the gas in the Glebovsky underground storage and the Crimean assets of other companies controlled by Naftogaz. During the proceedings, the company insisted that the agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Russian government had been violated.