Norway arrested a Russian ship at the request of Naftogaz

At the request of the Naftogaz Group, the ship “Professor Molchanov”, which belongs to Russia and is used for commercial expedition cruises, was arrested in Norway.

The decision was made by the District Court of Nur-Trums and Senja on August 31, 2026, Naftogaz reported.

The arrest is to ensure the implementation of an arbitration award to recover from Russia about $4.22 billion, as well as interest and costs, for the illegal seizure of Naftogaz Group assets in the annexed Crimea.

According to the court decision, the ship cannot leave its place of residence – the port of Barentsburg on Svalbard.

“This is another important step towards restoring justice. We will continue to search for Russian assets around the world until the compensation awarded to Naftogaz and other Group companies is paid,” emphasized Serhiy Fedorenko, Acting Chairman of the Management Board of Naftogaz.

As a reminder, back in 2023, USM reported that the Russian Embassy in Norway had applied to the Oslo government for permission to explore the seabed near the country’s oil and gas facilities.