Denmark has a Russian ship – a corvette in place?

© Alexei Druzhinin / AP / TT
Russia accuses Danish authorities of seizing a research vessel. The photo shows a Russian oceanographic research vessel of a different class. Photo gallery.

Danish authorities detained a Russian research vessel in the port of Skagen.

Apparently a Russian military ship appeared at the scene, but was rejected by the Danish defense.

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is aware of the incident and is in contact with the Russian embassy, ​​according to Danish media.

TV2 Nord reported that a Russian military ship was quietly cruising near the research vessel with the lights off. According to several marine traffic sites, including Marine Traffic, it is a battleship of the Russian Navy, the 104-meter Stoekig Corvette.

Denmark’s armed forces deny the information that it is a warship, but cannot determine which ship could be seen at the site. Press spokesman Christer Haven says TV2 Nord That if you can see the ship in Marine Traffic, something is wrong.

© Alexander Zemlianchenko
In the background of the Russian warship Stoikij. In the foreground is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo gallery.

The Ritzau news agency asked Haven if a ship could be placed on Marine Traffic maps even if it wasn’t already there.

– I don’t want to speculate what you can do. But we are aware of Danish waters and it is not a Russian warship in the area, he answers.

Canadian shipping company

According to Russian state media, 61 people – 38 of them in the crew and 23 in the search team – are on board the ship, which was said to have been detained at the port of Skagen on Monday. The Russian Embassy stated that the documents on board the plane were also seized.

The ship bears the name Akademik Ioffe and, according to the embassy, ​​is engaged in research for the Russian Institute of Oceanography Shcherov.

The Russian embassy said Denmark acted as a third party for Canadian shipping company One Ocean Expeditions, which chartered Akademik Ioffe and its sister ships for cruises from early 2010 until 2019 when the ships “abruptly and unexpectedly” withdrew from the agreement, according to a lawsuit.

The shipping company claims it constitutes a breach of contract.

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Science and Education said in a statement that it is investigating the incident, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. According to the ministry, the ship was on its way home from an expedition when it was captured.

“classic designation”

According to the Marine Traffic website, the ship, which was launched in 1989, left the port of Kaliningrad in Russia on Saturday. It is now at anchor outside Skagen Harbor.

Just a few weeks ago, Norway’s gas and oil companies alerted that Russian research vessels like these were mapping their operations.

– There are civilian research ships used for military purposes. . . They engage in classic vulnerability mapping and industrial espionage, said Ståle Ulriksen, a researcher and professor at the Norwegian Defense College. today’s work.