Nearly 70 Russian crew members and passengers have arrived back in Russia after their cruise ship, the Professor Molchanov, was detained in Norway. The vessel was seized by Norwegian authorities acting on a legal request from Ukraine's Naftogaz, which seeks compensation for assets lost during the 2014 annexation of Crimea. While the individuals have been repatriated with assistance from Oslo and Russian diplomats, the legal dispute regarding the ship remains active, with Moscow planning to challenge the court order. The Russian Foreign Ministry claims the seizure violates the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, suggesting that Norway is attempting to diminish Russia's presence in the Arctic archipelago. The ship currently remains in Barentsburg, a Russian settlement located on the island of Spitsbergen, as diplomatic tensions between the two nations continue over the enforcement of the multi-billion dollar arbitration award.
Source : The Moscow Times
