After the arrest of a Russian research vessel in Svalbard at the request of Naftogaz, the island's governor promised to take care of the crew and passengers. Among the latter are the artists who started the interdisciplinary project "Arctic Biennale".
"The Governor of Svalbard will take care of the crew and passengers on board the vessel in cooperation with the Arktikugol Trust," Governor Lars Fausse said in a statement.
He confirmed the statement of Naftogaz that the Nur-Trums and Senya District Court decided to arrest the Professor Molchanov vessel to ensure the implementation of the arbitration decision of the tribunal in The Hague. In 2023, he ordered Russia to pay $ 5 billion in compensation for losses caused by the seizure of assets of Naftogaz Group companies in Crimea in 2014.
"The court of first instance granted the Ukrainian company Naftogaz the right to seize the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov, which is currently moored in Barentsburg on Svalbard," the governor said.
According to him, he is a bailiff and arrested the vessel on Wednesday, September 2.
"According to the court decision, the vessel is obliged to stand at the berth in a place determined by the governor of Svalbard. It has been decided that the vessel will be berthed in Barentsburg until the governor or the court decides otherwise," added Lars Fausse.
"Professor Molchanov" arrived in Barentsburg on September 1 and, according to a TASS correspondent on board the vessel, the first-ever interdisciplinary project "Arctic Biennale" started in the Svalbard archipelago.
"More than 20 artists will present about 30 expositions, art installations and performances here, the main event of the first stage will be the opening of the exhibition in The Arctic Art Gallery of Barentsburg," TASS reports.
According to him, the members of the expedition accepted the arrest of the vessel without panic and continue the work planned in Svalbard.
"In particular, participants of the first art and scientific expedition of the Arctic Biennale are working as part of the expedition. They are installing their art objects and preparing for the opening of the exhibition," the agency's correspondent reports.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the arrest of "Professor Molchanov" piracy.
"The West has legalized, and I would say removed the veil from piracy, uncovering a kind of vestige of not even the Cold War — there was no such thing in the Cold War — a vestige from the Middle Ages from the great geographical discoveries, making Jack Sparrow its own symbol of modernity," she said.
Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov said that Russia will challenge the arrest of the vessel.
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