Putin calls Norway’s seizure of the Professor Molchanov state terrorism

Norwegian authorities have detained the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov at the port of Barentsburg on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard — following a claim by Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz as part of an international campaign to enforce an arbitration award against Russia worth approximately €3.6 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident state terrorism.

The detention took place on Wednesday. On Thursday, at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated that the seizure of civilian vessels and strikes against merchant ships constitute acts of state terrorism. He said such incidents complicate the prospects for future peace negotiations. The Russian president accused Ukraine’s allies of complicity in international terrorism.

How the vessel’s arrest unfolded

On August 31, the Nord-Troms and Senja court issued a ruling to arrest the vessel on Naftogaz’s application. The Ukrainian company had been tracking the vessel’s location for several months through its international legal representatives — the American firm Covington & Burling.

The Professor Molchanov is a converted research vessel owned by the Russian Federation and used for commercial expedition cruises. On Tuesday it arrived in Barentsburg with Russian scientists and journalists on board. According to Reuters, the arrest was preceded by a 24-hour standoff with the Norwegian Coast Guard. The Governor of Svalbard, Lars Fause, confirmed that the vessel is prohibited from leaving its berth. Passengers and crew members remain on board and have not been detained.

Expansion of the legal campaign

The arbitration award is based on a 2023 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz compensation for the unlawful expropriation of its energy assets — including gas fields, pipelines, and the Black Sea producer Chornomornaftogaz — following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Including interest and legal costs, the total debt could reach approximately €4.3 billion. Russia refuses to pay.

Naftogaz has initiated enforcement proceedings in approximately ten jurisdictions; Russian assets have already been seized in Finland and France.

“Russia cannot escape accountability simply by refusing to comply with an international arbitration award,” said Naftogaz acting chief executive Serhiy Fedorenko.

Moscow’s reaction

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the seizure “piracy.” Russia’s ambassador to Norway, Nikolai Korchunov, described the incident as a “politically motivated violation of international law” and said Moscow intends to file an appeal. The Kremlin summoned the Norwegian ambassador in Moscow to receive an official note of protest.

Norway’s Ministry of Justice stated that the matter does not directly concern the government in Oslo, noting that Russia has the right to request a review of the case in a district court.