Russian vessels have sought shelter in Norwegian fjords more than 230 times since 2022

Statistics from Norway's military Joint Headquarters, obtained by the Barents Observer, show that 131 Russian vessels asked for and received shelter in Norwegian fjords between 2022 and March this year, mostly in Troms and Finnmark. Some came back repeatedly. About 230 entries were logged for cases where captains said the weather was severe. The data lists 222 permissions over the four years. Of those, 51 were issued from 26 February to 21 March 2022, the first weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They were mostly for waters around Akkarfjord and Hammerfest near the Melkøya liquefied natural gas plant, and for fjords from Lyngen to Porsanger.

A captain must base a request on fear of losing the ship, its crew or its cargo. The newspaper's review found 10 vessels that stayed for five to ten days, which exceeded the length of the bad weather. The Joint Headquarters says nearly all requests, possibly every one, are approved. Military officials state that vessels are background-checked and areas cleared beforehand. About two weeks ago, a group of northern Russian trawlers gathered in Lyngen during strong winds.

The Police Security Service's 2026 annual report says Russian intelligence services want information on coastal infrastructure. The Police Security Service's report also says they will use civilian vessels to hide this. A Norwegian Coast Guard fisheries official, Erling Øksenvåg, has said some Russian trawlers probably spy. The European Union, and later Norway, sanctioned Norebo and Murman Seafood, which cannot catch in Norwegian waters. Fiskeribladet reported in January that 115 Russian fishing vessels had Norwegian permits for 2026.

Around Svalbard the sanctions do not apply, so Murman Seafood still fishes there. This winter its trawlers Melkart-3 and Melkart-4 fished west of the island of Spitsbergen. Melkart-5 was named in the 17th EU sanctions package for crossing a subsea cable several times before it was damaged. NRK reported 140 crossings. In early March Melkart-3 entered Isfjorden to shelter. The Joint Headquarters pointed to Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard), Lars Fause. He said the Governor has granted nothing and that no domestic national rules regulate it, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.