“This is a Russian warship, you must leave the area” • Tells NRK
The Norwegian fishing boat was out in the Barents Sea when a Russian vessel approached and ordered the fishing boat to leave the area.
But the Norwegians refused – because they were in Norwegian waters.
– Then the warship came at full speed with the cannons towards us, says Romsdal fisherman Øystein Orten to NRK.
It was on September 12 that Øystein Orten’s fishing boat Ragnhild Kristine ran into the 163-meter-long warship.
– I was called on the radio. “This is a Russian warship, you must leave the area,” says Orten to NRK.
The Russians explained that they were conducting a shooting exercise. But Øystein Orten had no intention of obeying a Russian order because it was in the Norwegian EEZ.
– I replied that there is no question of us moving. They had no right to deport us, and we had a line to follow, says Orten.
Fired cannon
When the Norwegians refused, the Russian ship came at full speed towards the fishing boat.
– The ship came to rest 200 meters from us with the bridge side next to it. It was a little threatening. Then they hit the alarm bell for about 15 seconds to get our attention. They then fired a cannon straight into the sea, says Øystein Orten.
The fishing boat’s hull shook violently, but was not directly hit by the bullet.
“Voluntary compulsion”
After the warning shot, the tone between the big Russian and the small Norwegian boat became more on the same wavelength.
– We agreed with the Russians to go a little west. It was “voluntary coercion” as they say in the military, says Øystein Orten.
The Russian warship took part in “Ocean-24”, a military exercise that President Vladimir Putin called the largest of its kind in over 30 years.