On September twelfth, a small Norwegian fishing boat, the Ragnhild Kristine, confronted a Russian warship conducting live-fire workouts within the Barents Sea. The fishermen, targeted on securing their catch, discovered themselves at odds with one of many Northern Fleet’s largest destroyers, the Admiral Levchenko, because it ready for strategic drills.
Because the crew of 5 ready to tug up their longlines, chief mate Øystein Orten obtained a warning over the radio: “That is Russian warship, it is advisable go away the world.” The incident occurred within the maritime border space north of the Varanger Peninsula, inside the Norwegian Unique Financial Zone (EEZ), the place Russia’s Northern Fleet had pre-announced live-fire workouts as a part of the large-scale Ocean-2024 drills.
Orten, undeterred by the warning, responded, “It was out of query for us to maneuver. We had longlines to take onboard.” The fishermen remained in place, unaware of simply how shut they have been to a doubtlessly harmful scenario.
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The Admiral Levchenko, an imposing 163-meter anti-submarine destroyer, approached the 15-meter-long fishing boat, stopping simply 200 meters away. Moments later, the warship sounded its horn for 15 seconds, a loud and clear sign for the fishermen to depart the world. In accordance with Orten, a warning shot quickly adopted, touchdown within the water close by. “It was a robust blast, our boat was shaking,” Orten instructed FriFagbevegelse, the Norwegian outlet that first reported the confrontation.
Realizing the escalating scenario, Orten and his crew lastly determined to sail westward, with the Russian destroyer following them till they have been safely out of the hazard zone. Shortly after, the Norwegian Coast Guard arrived, making contact with the Russian warship over the radio.
Whereas the Coast Guard confirmed a dialog befell between the fishing boat and the Russian navy, they didn’t confirm the warning shot. “We had a Coast Guard vessel within the space and we all know there was a dialog between the Russian navy and the fishing boat,” mentioned lieutenant colonel Vegard Finberg, head of communication on the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, in a telephone interview with the Barents Observer. “There are, nevertheless, no observations from our aspect that may verify any warning shot, although the fishermen could have skilled the scenario in another way.”
For Orten and his crew, the encounter displays rising frustrations amongst Norwegian fishermen over Russia’s navy actions within the Barents Sea. “Norwegian authorities should put stress on Russia in order that they cease sabotaging Norwegian fisheries and delivery,” Orten mentioned. He added that Russia ought to relocate its firing ranges additional north and east, away from Norway’s fishing areas.
