A Russian destroyer, the Admiral Levchenko, fired warning shots at the Norwegian fishing vessel MS Ragnhild Kristine in the Barents Sea, according to a report by the Norwegian publication FriFagbevegelse. The incident occurred on September 12, north of Varde, within Norway’s exclusive economic zone.
The Russian warship was participating in the military exercises Ocean 24 and informed the fishing crew about the danger zone, ordering them to leave the area. However, the crew of the MS Ragnhild Kristine refused, explaining that they needed to retrieve cables from the sea. In response, the Admiral Levchenko destroyer fired warning shots toward the Norwegian vessel.
Although the shots did not hit the fishing vessel, the crew was escorted out of the area by the Russian destroyer. The captain of the MS Ragnhild Kristine, Orten, reported that despite the shots, the vessel was not hit, but they were forced to leave the location.
The Norwegian Ministry of Defense commented on the incident, stating that Norwegian vessels are not required to vacate areas within the exclusive economic zone during military exercises of other countries. They further emphasized that the zone in question, while part of Norway’s economic waters, is also considered international waters, where vessels from different nations are free to navigate or conduct military exercises.
The Russian embassy in Oslo stated that it was unaware of the incident.
Sources: frifagbevegelse / mil.in.ua. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.