This is shown by documents that news has gained access to. news also knows that a crew change was made out here on Melkøya, which is strictly guarded. Like those who left the ship, all of the new crew had Russian passports. This happened a few weeks after Norway made it illegal for Russian ships to call at Norwegian ports. The exception is Russian fishing boats, but they are only allowed to dock in Tromsø, Båtsfjord and Kirkenes. According to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, other countries’ ships can call at Norway as normal, even if the people on board are Russian. At the same time, the Norwegian Armed Forces have been deployed to look after one of Norway’s largest gas plants. Security has been increased as a result of fears of Russian espionage and sabotage. Gas from Melkøya has been highly sought after in European countries, as the countries try to become independent of Russian gas. Photo: Allan Klo / news Asks minister to clean up Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp) heads the justice committee in the Storting. For him, it is completely incomprehensible that a ship with only a Russian crew these days can dock at one of the largest gas plants in this country. Although the ship sailed under the British flag. – We are in an absolutely extraordinary threat situation. We know that the international situation requires a higher level of preparedness. Then you have to plug all holes. I expect this to be a hole that the Minister of Justice will see to it, he says. Per-Willy Amundsen is surprised that Russian sailors could dock at Melkøya in Hammerfest. Photo: Håkon Benjaminsen / news Venstres Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik says she takes it for granted that the Norwegian authorities monitor and control who goes ashore on Melkøya. – Anything else would be disturbing, she writes in an email. And warns: – I also expect that a ship flying the British flag can hire whoever they want, but this still appears to be a classic gray area that the Russian authorities can exploit. news receives confirmation from various quarters that PST is well aware of the issue surrounding ships with Russian crew calling at Norwegian ports. Not as surprised Naval captain and researcher Tor Ivar Strømmen at the Naval Academy is not surprised to hear about the incident in the north. This illustrates the great challenge with the sanctions that have been introduced, he believes. – In any case, letting Russians in large numbers into a facility as sensitive as Melkøya is not lucky, he says. He does not believe that this was a security breach. – It is something that is simply not thought of, I think. Tor Ivar Strømmen believes that measures should be introduced to prevent this from happening again, but believes it will be difficult to close it completely to Russian seafarers. The reason is that there are many Russians who work for shipping companies around the world. Also with Norwegian shipping companies. Tor Ivar Strømmen at the Naval Academy. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Do not ask about nationality Equinor confirms that the British ship visited their facility on Melkøya. Press spokesperson Gisle Ledel Johannessen writes, among other things, in an e-mail that it is the ship’s shipping company that is responsible for those on board. – Equinor does not require nationality. It is not the practice to ask about nationality in case of crew changes that take place in Norway or elsewhere. He also points out that they are in close dialogue with the authorities about the security around their facilities. Military vehicles from the Home Guard have been visible outside Equinor’s processing plant at Kårstø in Tysvær. Photo: Marthe Synnøve Susort Johannessen / news The minister has not responded news has requested a statement from both the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries. It is these four who on 6 October announced stricter controls on Russian vessels. So far, only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded, and that by e-mail. State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson (Ap) admittedly does not answer any of our questions directly. – I would add on a general basis that the intelligence and security services continuously follow the activity along the Norwegian coast in order to uncover and prevent security-threatening activity. news learns that work is to be carried out to change regulations that limit land law for Russian seafarers in Norway.
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Ships with only Russian seamen docked at Equinor’s gas plant on Melkøya in Hammerfest – news Troms and Finnmark
