[Update] Russian Authorities Board Greenpeace Ship During Arctic Oil Protest

The Russian Coast Guard has begun a mandatory inspection of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise following a protest in the Arctic this morning. Greenpeace entered the Northern Sea Route on Saturday, in defiance of Russia’s attempt to ban the group’s icebreaker from entering the area.

Four members of the Russian Coast Guard boarded the ship after the group launched inflatable boats with banners reading “Save the Arctic” near the oil exploration vessel Geolog Dmitry Nalivkin. The vessel is currently under contract to Russian state-owned Rosneft and US oil giant ExxonMobil as part of a joint venture.

"We’re here on behalf of three and a half million people who want to expose the truth behind reckless Arctic oil drilling, and yet the Russian authorities have tried to block us at every turn. Our protest is entirely safe and peaceful, while oil exploration poses a huge threat to wildlife and the fragile Arctic environment," said Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner aboard the Arctic Sunrise.

"Offshore drilling should be banned in the Arctic, and especially in a remote sanctuary for threatened species like polar bears and narwhals where an oil spill would be impossible to clean up. We’re here to shine a light on the secretive activities of oil companies in the Russian Arctic and we won’t be intimidated into silence."

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Dutch Foreign Ministry said "Greenpeace's right to a peaceful demonstration is indisputable" and "according to the data the Netherlands has on the ship, there is no reason to doubt its technical state".

Earlier this morning, the Russian Coast Guard announced the creation of a 4 nautical mile ‘exclusion zone’ around the Geolog Dmitry Nalivkin, preventing the activists from obtaining clear images of the vessel.

The Maritime Executive does not necessarily endorse any opinions herein.