A Norwegian court has seized and detained the Russian research vessel Professor Molchanov in Svalbard following an application by Ukraine’s national oil and gas company, Naftoqaz.
Sea-news.az reports that the information was published on the official website of the Governor of Svalbard.
Pursuant to a ruling by the Nord-Troms District Court, restrictions were imposed on the Russian vessel, which was anchored in Barentsburg, Svalbard. Under the decision, the vessel is prohibited from leaving its current berth until a corresponding clearance is issued by the Governor’s office.
It is reported that the detention of the vessel is a measure implemented to secure the enforcement of an international arbitration award won by Naftoqaz regarding its lost assets in Crimea.
To recap, the Professor Molchanov has been operating regular cargo and passenger voyages to Svalbard since June 2025, having departed Murmansk for the archipelago earlier in March of that year.
