A Norwegian fishing vessel was moving in the Barents Sea at the time of the Russian naval exercise. The Russian ship demanded the Norwegians disappear from the area.
A Russian warship harassed a Norwegian fishing vessel in the Barents Sea on September 12, Norway’s public radio NRK reports.
The 15-meter fishing vessel MS Ragnhild Kristine was moving north of the island of Vardø in Norway’s exclusive economic zone when Russian soldiers contacted it via radio.
The Udaloi-class Admiral Levchenko warship demanded that the Norwegian ship “leave the area”. According to the captain of the warship, the Russians were conducting a shooting exercise.
The captain of a Norwegian ship Øystein Orten answered the Russian captain that there was no question of the Norwegians leaving the area.
After that, the Russian ship changed course towards the Norwegian ship and approached it “at full speed”, according to Orten.
Admiral Levchenko participated in Russia’s extensive Ocean 2024 military exercise in the region, in which China also took part.
According to Orten, the Russian ship came about 200 meters away from the Norwegians and fired one of its cannons “somewhere towards the sea”.
After this, the Norwegians agreed to move a little to the west. The Russians said the fishing vessel could return to the area in six hours.
The Norwegian Coast Guard says For The Barents Observer that it is aware of what happened, but says that it has not detected the “warning shot” fired by the Russians. The Norwegian Defense Forces tells NRK that Norwegian ships have the right to fish in Norway’s economic zone despite Russian military exercises.
Norwegian fishermen have complained several times in recent years that Russian military exercises are hindering fishing in the Barents Sea.