Norway Helps 69 Russians Stranded In Arctic After Ship Arrest On Ukraine’s Request

Norway has helped 69 Russian passengers and crew return home after they were stranded in Svalbard following the seizure of the cruise ship Professor Molchanov.

The stranded crew and passengers returned to Russia on Tuesday, Sept. 8, through the Norwegian town of Kirkenes, the governor of the Svalbard archipelago said.

A Norwegian court had ordered the seizure of the ship at the request of Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz.

The company is seeking to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation award over assets Russia took when it annexed Crimea in 2014.

Russia plans to appeal the arrest of the Professor Molchanov. The case has also led to new tensions between Moscow and Oslo, with the Russian Foreign Ministry summoning the Norwegian ambassador in Moscow last week to deliver a strong protest.

Norwegian authorities provided logistical help to get the 69 Russians home. Russian diplomats also helped with their return, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“As far as we know, practically everyone has already returned home,” Zakharova said on Wednesday.

But the dispute over the ship is not over, she said.

Moscow says the seizure goes against the 1920 Svalbard Treaty. The treaty gives Norway sovereignty over Svalbard but also gives citizens of countries that signed it, including Russia, the right to settle there without a visa. It also allows equal economic access to the archipelago.

Svalbard has been Norwegian territory since 1925. The Arctic archipelago lies between the North Pole and the European mainland.

Zakharova said Russia believes Norwegian authorities are trying to make it harder for Russian operators to work in Svalbard and reduce Russia’s presence there.

The Professor Molchanov is being held in Barentsburg, a Russian-operated coal mining settlement on Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago.

Barentsburg is one of two Russian settlements in Svalbard. The two settlements have a combined population of 392, according to the Norwegian government.

Svalbard has a total population of 2,914, according to Statistics Norway.

References: Reuters, themoscowtimes