27 Dec, 2024 12:23
Kremlin comments on alleged Norwegian refusal to save Russian sailors
The denial of assistance to the crew of a sinking vessel would call for universal condemnation, a spokesman said
The Kremlin has commented on claims that a Norwegian-flagged ship refused to rescue Russian sailors from a sinking vessel earlier this week. If this were confirmed, it would be an extraordinary case of negligence, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The Ursa Major, a 142-meter freighter operated by a subsidiary of the Russian Defense Ministry, sank on Monday as it was sailing between Spain and Algeria en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. Most of its crew escaped in a rescue boat and received assistance from a Spanish ship, but two members went missing, according to the vessel’s owner, Oboronlogistics. The incident occurred after an apparent “terrorist attack,” as witnesses reported hearing three explosions hitting the stern, it said.
On Thursday evening, the company claimed that the ship Oslo Carrier 3 was in the vicinity but refused to pick up the sailors, citing an unspecified “ban.”
“If there actually was a denial of maritime rescue, it violated all laws of the sea,” Peskov said during a media briefing on Friday. “That would be an extraordinary case that would warrant universal condemnation.”
After Peskov made his remarks, Bulkship Management AS, the Norwegian operator of the ship,said it had followed instructions received from Spanish officials managing the rescue operation. It was told not to take the Russians on board as another vessel was on its way to help them.
“The lifeboat was secured alongside our vessel until the rescue boat arrived,” the statement said. “The weather was good, none of the crew in the lifeboat were injured, and there was no imminent danger to them.”
International treaties and national laws of seafaring states demand that shipmasters render assistance to persons in distress at sea, provided that doing so would not endanger people and ships in their charge.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev described the alleged abandonment of the Ursa Major sailors as “unforgivable.” The incident showcases Russophobic attitudes dominating in the West, particularly in Europe, he claimed in a social media post.
https://www.rt.com/russia/610067-kremlin-norway-rescue-scandal/
27 Dec, 2024 07:48
Norwegian ship snubbed sinking Russian vessel – owner
Oslo Carrier 3 refused to rescue the crew of Ursa Major, which was listing badly after an alleged “terrorist attack” in the Mediterranean, Oboronlogistics claims
A Norwegian-flagged ship, Oslo Carrier 3, declined to retrieve Russian sailors from their sinking vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, the Ursa Major, its owner Oboronlogistics LLC has alleged. The company has described the refusal as a violation of maritime law.
The Russian freighter sank between Spain and Algeria on Monday, having been filmed listing badly. Oboronlogistics has claimed the vessel was damaged in a “terrorist attack” involving “three successive explosions” on board.
The crew abandoned ship and launched their lifeboat towards the nearby Oslo Carrier 3.However, they were not allowed board the vessel, the Oboronlogistics press office told RIA Novosti on Friday.
The lifeboat [carrying the Russian sailors] was heading toward the Norwegian-flagged ship Oslo Carrier 3, which was nearby,” it stated.“Upon approaching the vessel, the Norwegian ship, which is manned by a partly Russian-speaking crew, refused to accept the Ursa Major sailors, citing some kind of prohibition.”
Spanish rescue vessels, however, recovered 14 crew members alive. Two are still missing.
Oboronlogistics has denounced the Norwegian crew's refusal as a blatant violation of maritime law, under which vessels are obligated to assist those in distress at sea unless doing so puts their own crew at significant risk.
Oslo-based Bulkship Management AS, which operates Oslo Carrier 3, has yet to comment on the allegations.
https://www.rt.com/news/610054-norwegian-ship-snubbed-sinking-russian-cargo/