The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that Norway unconditionally comply with international law, including the Svalbard Treaty, which provides for freedom of access for citizens to the archipelago. The Russian diplomatic department reported this.
The ministry said that such access is currently hampered: the vessel "Professor Molchanov" has been arrested at the request of Ukrainian companies. In connection with the arrests of Russian property, the Foreign Ministry summoned Norway's charge d'affaires, Bjoern Svenungsen, and lodged a decisive protest with him.
"The charge d'affaires was informed that a prolonged winter stay of a vessel not suited for this, given the harsh climatic and weather conditions of the Arctic, is fraught with its failure and serious consequences for the environment," the Foreign Ministry added.
The research vessel was arrested on September 2 in the port of Barentsburg at the request of Ukraine's Naftogaz. A creative expedition was on board. Russian Ambassador Nikolai Korchunov said that lawyers will appeal the Norwegian court's decision and called on Oslo to fulfill its obligations under the Svalbard Treaty.
A week later, the office of the governor of Svalbard reported that 69 Russians from the "Professor Molchanov" had returned home. At the end of October, a Norwegian court rejected an appeal against the arrest of the vessel.
Vladimir Putin, speaking at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, called the seizure of civilian vessels an manifestation of state terrorism.