Brussels imposes sanctions on Murmansk fishery industry
The EC Council accuses two major fishery companies in Murmansk of espionage and 'activities that can facilitate future sabotage operations.' The Norebo and the Murman Seafood Company are included in the 17th Sanctions Package of the European Union.
According to the document published by the EU Council on May 20, the vessels operated by fishery company Norebo "show particular movement patterns that are inconsistent with regular economic practices and fishing activities."
"The movement patterns align with malign objectives, such as repeatedly being in the vicinity of or loitering near critical infrastructure and military sites," the Council argues.
The Norebo is one of Russia's most powerful fishery companies. It is owned by Vitaly Orlov, the fishery tycoon that is believed to have a fortune of more than $2 billion. Judging from figures from Forbes, the fortune almost doubled between 2024 and 2025.
According to the EU Council, the sailing patterns of the company's ships appear to be "linked to the Russian state-sponsored surveillance campaign that employs inter alia, civilian fishing trawlers, to conduct espionage missions directed against civilian and military infrastructure in the North and Baltic Sea."
"Shipping vessels owned and operated by Norebo JSC have also been equipped with technology that may be used for espionage," the EU document reads.
In April 2025, the company's new super-trawler, the Kapitan Sokolov, sailed directly from the shipyard to the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes.
On the sanctions list is also the company Murman Seafood. This company, like Norebo, is suspected of illegal intelligence activities. According to the EU Council, the company's trawler Melkart-5 has demonstrated "extremely unusual navigational activity" in areas of undersea cable in northern waters, including near a cable that subsequently was severely damaged. The EU Council also claims that the vessel repeatedly appeared near NATO facilities and critical Norwegian infrastructure.
In addition, the ship's crew has violated Norwegian landing rules. As previously reported, crew members were caught when they secretly surveyed a bridge of strategic importance for military logistics.
The EU justifies the imposition of sanctions by stating that the listed companies "implements and supports actions by the Government of the Russian Federation which undermine or threaten the security in the Union, several of its Member States and third countries by engaging in and supporting actions aimed at interfering with critical infrastructure, including submarine infrastructure."
The 17th Round of Sanctions include the most wide-sweeping EU measures against Russia since the start of the war. The EU is ready to take additional measures.
"While Putin feigns interest in peace, more sanctions are in the works. Russia’s actions and those who enable Russia face severe consequences. The longer Russia persists with its illegal and brutal war, the tougher our response will be," Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, says.
Over the last years, Norebo has actively expanded its shipbuilding and ship repair assets. In particular, the holding became a partner of the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) in a project to create a ship repair complex in Murmansk.
