Key facts
- Norway seized the Russian cruise ship Professor Molchanov off Svalbard.
- The seizure was requested by Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz to enforce a $4.22 billion award.
- The award is for assets Russia seized when it annexed Crimea in 2014.
- The ship's seizure has stranded passengers and crew.
- Russia has accused Norway of piracy.
- Norway stated it is complying with international obligations and will assist stranded Russians.
Norway will provide assistance to Russian citizens stranded on the Arctic Svalbard islands after the Professor Molchanov cruise ship, carrying passengers and supplies, was seized by court order. The seizure was initiated by Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, which is seeking to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation award against Russia for assets Moscow confiscated following its 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Russia has denounced the seizure as "piracy" and plans to appeal the ruling. Norway's foreign ministry stated that authorities are complying with international obligations and ensuring essential goods reach Russian settlements on the islands, noting that Russian companies are regularly granted sanctions relief for this purpose. The 71-meter Professor Molchanov, capable of carrying 32 crew and 52 passengers, is used for commercial expedition cruises.
A tribunal in The Hague had previously ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz over $5 billion for treaty violations and the seizure of assets in Crimea. Naftogaz and its legal counsel had been tracking the vessel for months, and the arbitral award was recognized as enforceable in Norway. The Nord-Troms and Senja District Court officially ordered the seizure on August 31, 2026, to secure Russia's compliance with its obligations under the award.