Russian warship fired warning shot at Norwegian fishing boat
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A Norwegian fishing vessel was menaced by a Russian warship earlier this month in a tense encounter in the Arctic Ocean, according to the fishing boat’s skipper. The incident, which took place on September 12 in the Barents Sea, off Norway’s northern coast, involved the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Levchenko and a small Norwegian fishing boat.
The Norwegian vessel, a 15-meter boat captained by Øystein Orten, was hauling fishing lines when it was confronted by the 163-meter-long Russian warship. Admiral Levchenko was participating in military exercises at the time.
“I was called up on the radio: ‘This is Russian Warship, you need to leave the area,’” Orten told local media. “I replied that there is no question of us moving. We had lines to haul.”
Shortly after, the situation escalated. Orten and his crew of five described the warship barreling towards them, sounding its horn and eventually firing a warning shot that detonated in the water close to their vessel. “It was a powerful blast, our boat was shaking,” said Orten. Realizing the danger, the fishing crew quickly retreated to a safer distance.
A spokesperson for Norway’s Joint Headquarters later confirmed the radio exchange between the two vessels but did not observe the warning shot being fired. The incident occurred within Norway’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Barents Sea, which has long been a point of friction between Norway and Russia.
The Barents Sea, rich in natural resources, is divided between the two nations, and tensions have grown as Russia increases military activities in the area. In recent years, the Kremlin has conducted military drills and missile tests inside Norway’s EEZ, angering Norwegian fishermen who depend on the waters for their livelihood.
The encounter comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions in the Arctic. Last week, Russia’s foreign minister warned that Moscow was “fully ready to defend its interests” in the region. This latest incident raises fresh concerns about the potential for conflict in the increasingly militarized Arctic as both Russia and NATO countries, including Norway, vie for influence in the strategically important area.
While no injuries were reported, the standoff has left fishermen in northern Norway uneasy about their safety as they continue to work in contested waters where military exercises are increasingly common.
