Barentsburg

There we go.

Passing Barentsburg, and we come in here, come into Longyearbyen, double-click and end.

And there we have it.

Jeez.

The mechanics were diplomatic.

Fausa said the assistance came after good dialogue with Russian diplomats in Barentsburg, a Russian settlement in the islands, as well as representatives from the Trust Artikagol, the Russian state-owned mining company that runs the settlement.

The governor's office described a clean handoff.

The governor has received very good assistance from the mainland and central authorities in the work to carry out the journey in a safe, orderly and good manner, the statement added, further stating that the Russians made the journey via Kirkenes on the north coast of Norway.

which is seeking $4.22 billion in compensation awards for assets that Moscow took when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Officials said the vessel, the Professor Malkinov, was seized on Wednesday in Barentsburg, a coal mining settlement that Russia operates on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

under the terms of a 1920 treaty rusty russia called it an act of piracy and said it had summoned the norwegian ambassador to deliver a strong protest quote amid the restrictive measures imposed by norway against russia in on svalbard svalbard measures that violate international law russian organizations and citizens operating on the archipelago are effectively under blockade it said accusing norway of violating the treaty norway said it would propose ways for crew members and passengers and others to travel home if they want to naftogaz has been pursuing russia since 2016 to seek compensation for the expropriation of its property in Crimea.

An arbitration court in The Hague ordered Russia in April of 2023 to pay NAFTA gas 4.2 billion plus interest in legal costs.

So a ship called the Professor Molchanov was the only vessel that's operating a direct passenger link between the Russian mainland and Svalbard, which is an island or archipelago, something like The Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard at the request of Ukraine's state-owned energy company, Neftogaz, amid growing tension between Moscow and NATO states over access and control of the Arctic.

The Professor Molchanov was detained on Wednesday while docked in Barentsburg, a Russian settlement on the Norwegian-administered archipelago.

The governor of Svalbard said the move followed an August 31 order by the Nord Troms and the Senja district court granting Neftegaz the right to seize the ship.

The vessel has been barred from leaving Barentsburg until further notice.

The crew and passengers aboard the vessel learned about the seizure from media reports.

Russian Far East and Arctic Development Minister Alexei Cherkunkov said on Thursday that the crew is safe, added that lawyers for the Arctic Google Trust would soon issue a legal response and intend to challenge the seizure order.

The Professor Molchanov is a Russian state-owned research vessel operated by the country's hydrometeorological service.

Ross HydroMet.

For instance, China, also India, not a party, but another major player, even Japan and South Korea to a certain extent when it comes to shipping and so forth.

And others, other potential partners as well, like in Svalbard, they want to establish a scientific research center in Barentsburg or Pyramiden with other countries as well, perhaps other BRICS countries.

Do you see that as a threat, if we can call it that, a threat to the future Russian interest in the Arctic Council when and if hostilities in Ukraine come to an end?

You know, there's some irony here.

It may even be quite a bit more than that, that all sort of have rights to the area, but it's governed by Norway.

And it lies on the town of Longyearbyen, which is really the only sort of permanent active settlement On Svalbard, there's still the Russian settlement of Barentsburg, but we'll leave that out for now.

And that lies at 78 degrees, so it's well inside the Arctic Circle.

And it's an archipelago.

It's a place that reminds me that we are visitors.

I think it's one of the few places left on Earth, Antarctica too, where it's very obvious that humans are not still in control.

Outside of the settlements, which is really Longyearbyen and Barentsburg, humans are not the top of the hierarchy.

Polar bears are still in charge there.

You don't need a driving licence.

And in fact, the Russians built a town here some years ago, Barentsburg, to start a big coal mine, so lots of people laid claim to it.

That explains all those statues of Lennon all around the place.

Comrade Lennon.