VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. Norway's seizure of the Russian research vessel Professor Molchanov is real piracy, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
"Seized is a better word than detained. Detained is about something legal. Now we see the big picture of what's happening. Earlier, perhaps even 10-15 years ago, one could have harbored illusions that this was some kind of legal procedure, that there were some legitimate claims that could somehow be fought off in court or arbitration. You see what's happening now. The West has legalized, or rather, I would say, simply lifted the veil on piracy, uncovering a seemingly relic, not even of the Cold War – there was nothing like this during the Cold War – a relic of the period <...> from the Middle Ages to the Great Geographical Discoveries, literally making Jack Sparrow its own symbol of modernity," Zakharova said, answering a related question.
"This is precisely one element of this new interpretation of maritime affairs, or the maritime agenda, in the West. Previously, in recent decades, the post-war period, and even the pre-war period, maritime affairs were dominated by maritime law. It was developed, it was elaborated at the national level, at the regional level, at the international level. It was precisely this law that was relied upon in dealing with civil matters. The militaries and navies of various countries had their own laws, both for their conduct in peacetime and for the conduct of military operations. Today, everything is jumbled, everything is thrown off, everything is mixed up. They have simply resorted to real piracy. This is monstrous, this is degradation, this is throwing them and the entire world back. But this is also reality," Zakharova stated. "What you are talking about, is one of the manifestations."
Earlier, the official website of the Governor of Svalbard published a statement that Norwegian authorities had seized the Russian research vessel Professor Molchanov following a complaint from the Ukrainian company Naftogaz.
The Eastern Economic Forum is being held from September 1 to 4 in Vladivostok on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. The main theme of the EEF in 2026 is "The Far East: Development for the Benefit of People." The organizer is the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government. TASS is the general information partner.
