Russia calls Norway's seizure of research vessel 'act of piracy'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday called Norway's seizure of the Russian research vessel Professor Molchanov "an act of piracy."

Speaking on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Zakharova said Moscow viewed the incident as part of a broader shift in Western approaches to maritime affairs.

"For decades, maritime law was the guiding principle in maritime affairs. Today, everything has been mixed up, everything has been discarded, and they have simply embarked on genuine piracy," she said.

Zakharova described the development as "horrifying" and a "degradation," saying it represented a retreat from established international practices.

Norwegian authorities seized the Professor Molchanov on Wednesday while it was docked in Barentsburg, Svalbard, after a court granted Ukrainian state-owned energy company Naftogaz the right to seize the vessel, according to the Governor of Svalbard.

The Nord-Troms District Court issued the order as part of Naftogaz's efforts to recover funds related to assets it says were expropriated by Russia in 2014.

The vessel was ordered to remain docked in Barentsburg until the governor or the court decides otherwise.