Norway seizes Russian vessel in Svalbard over Naftogaz Crimea award

Oslo,UPDATED: Sep 3, 2026 18:18 IST

Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian vessel in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at the request of Ukraine's Naftogaz, as the Ukrainian state-owned energy company steps up efforts worldwide to enforce a USD 4.22 billion arbitration award against Russia. The seizure, announced on Wednesday, is linked to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the takeover of Ukrainian energy assets there.

The move drew a sharp response from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the seizure of civilian vessels and strikes on merchant shipping were "acts of state terrorism", while Russia's ambassador to Norway called the action a "politically motivated violation of international law" and said the court decision would be appealed.

Naftogaz is seeking to recover the multibillion-dollar award after a tribunal in The Hague ruled in 2023 that Russia must pay USD 4.22 billion for unlawfully seizing the company's assets in Crimea, including gas fields and pipelines. After Russia refused to pay, Naftogaz began approaching national courts for orders to seize Russian commercial assets.

"This is another important step towards restoring justice for Russia's unlawful seizure of Naftogaz assets in Crimea. Russia cannot evade responsibility simply by refusing to comply with an international arbitral award. We will continue to pursue Russian assets around the world," Naftogaz CEO Sergii Fedorenko said.

Asked on Thursday about Norway's action, Putin also criticised recent warnings by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to foreign airlines that flying in Russia would no longer be safe because of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin linked the vessel seizure and Zelenskyy's warning, saying such incidents "complicated" the prospects for future peace talks. He added that Ukraine's allies were "complicit in international terrorism" by remaining silent on the issues.

Russia's ambassador to Norway, Nikolai Korchunov, told Russian state news agency Tass that the seizure of the vessel was a "politically motivated violation of international law". He said the court decision would be appealed and that the embassy was in contact with the ship's crew and passengers, Tass reported.

The seizure of the vessel, Professor Molchanov, followed a Nord-Troms district court order issued on August 31, Svalbard Governor Lars Fause said in a statement. The vessel, used for commercial expedition cruises including to Svalbard, is now not allowed to leave its current location in Barentsburg. The action marks another step in Naftogaz's efforts to enforce the arbitration award over assets seized by Russia in Crimea.

With PTI Inputs

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