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

When Russia revised its Marine Doctrine in 2022, it included the possible use of civilian fishing vessels in wartime scenarios. It also highlighted that, when necessary, a large number of trawlers and fishing vessels could be deployed for military purposes.

Subsequently, Russia’s two largest fishing companies were sanctioned by the European Union - and later by Norway - amid growing concerns that their trawlers “show particular movement patterns that are inconsistent with regular economic practices and fishing activities.”

Few countries possess more subsea infrastructure than Norway. 

Oil and gas pipelines criss-cross the seabed inside and outside territorial seas 12 nautical miles from the baseline, linking offshore petroleum fields to onshore facilities.

Thousands of kilometres of pipelines stretch across the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the North Sea to continental Europe. In addition, data cables connect Norway to the global network. There are also likely military installations and cables, although these are not shown on publicly available navigation charts.

Although the fishing companies Norebo and Murman Seafood have been barred from catching in Norwegian waters, other Russian companies continue to fish within Norway’s exclusive economic zone. Some vessels are even permitted to call at ports in Tromsø, Båtsfjord, and Kirkenes. Dozens of other fjords, however, remain off limits - unless severe weather necessitates shelter.

Statistics obtained by the Barents Observer from Norway’s military Joint Headquarters illustrate the scale of the issue.

From 2022 - the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine - until March this year, 131 Russian vessels requested and were granted shelter in Norwegian fjords, mainly in the northern regions of Troms and Finnmark. Some vessels are frequent visitors. In total, around 230 entries were recorded in situations where captains claimed to be facing severe weather, according to the data.

One criterion for allowing a Russian fishing vessel access to sheltered waters is a request from the captain based on a well-founded fear of losing the vessel, crew, or cargo. However, a review by the Barents Observer reveals that ten vessels remained sheltered for between five and ten days - longer than the duration of the adverse weather.

In its 2026 annual report, Norway’s Police Security Service explicitly warns of Russian intelligence services’ interest in gathering information on infrastructure, technology, and activities along the Norwegian coast.

“To conceal their intelligence activities, they will use civilian vessels,” the report states.

“This type of maritime covert intelligence gathering targets Norwegian interests at sea, in sheltered waters, and in ports.”

It was not only international geopolitics that caused high waves in the weeks following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. A surprisingly high number of Russian captains requested shelter during the four weeks that followed - particularly in waters near Europe’s northernmost liquefied natural gas plant at Melkøya.

Of the 222 permissions granted during the four-year period, 51 were issued between 26 February and 21 March 2022. Most were in waters around Akkarfjord and Hammerfest, though some were also granted in fjords stretching from Lyngen in the west to Porsanger in the east.

This came only weeks after the Russian Northern Fleet had closed off a huge area across the Barents Sea for a surprise drill involving the strategic nuclear forces. It is a well-known fact that Russia, in case of escalating global conflict, may want to conduct sea denial and maritime interdiction operations for the entire Barents Sea, including areas west of the maritime border with Norway.

Last year, the Police Security Service reiterated its warning that “Russia uses civilian vessels to gain an overview of Norwegian and allied military capabilities and to map infrastructure along the coast and on the seabed.”

Several fjords in Troms and Finnmark where Russian vessels have been granted shelter over the past four years are home to both civilian and military subsea infrastructure and are also important for military operations.

In January, the newspaper Fiskeribladet reported that 115 Russian fishing vessels were granted permission to operate in Norwegian waters in 2026. In an earlier article, Erling Øksenvåg, head of the fisheries section of the Norwegian Coast Guard, stated that it is likely some Russian trawlers are engaged in espionage.

“We clearly see that some Russian vessels, including fishing vessels, have the capacity to map subsea activity,” he said.

Despite these concerns and warnings, new permissions to seek shelter continue to be granted. The Joint Headquarters states that nearly all - if not all - Russian vessels that request shelter are approved.

Military officials emphasise that “all vessels seeking shelter are thoroughly background-checked” and that “any area granted for shelter is pre-cleared.”

Less than two weeks ago, another group of trawlers from northern Russia lined up in Lyngen, north of Tromsø, during a period of strong winds - coinciding with the withdrawal of troops following NATO’s Cold Response exercise.

Further north, in the Fisheries Protection Zone around Svalbard, the situation differs, as EU and Norwegian sanctions do not apply. Companies such as Murman Seafood are therefore still permitted to fish.

This winter, two of the company’s trawlers - Melkart-3 and Melkart-4 - have shown particular interest in fishing west of Spitsbergen, an area where few others operate this time of the year.

A third vessel, Melkart-5, was specifically mentioned in Brussels’ 17th sanctions package:

“In particular, Melkart-5 showed highly unusual navigation practices in the immediate vicinity of a subsea cable in the Norwegian North Sea, crossing the cable multiple times immediately before it was severely damaged,” the document stated.

The cable in question was one of two fibre-optic links connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway. According to an investigative report by Norway’s public broadcaster NRK, Melkart-5 crossed the cable 140 times with its fishing gear before and after the damage occurred.

In early March this year, after spending weeks operating near subsea cables along the west coast of Spitsbergen, Melkart-3 entered Isfjorden, outside Longyearbyen, seeking shelter from bad weather in the Greenland Sea.

“You will need to ask the Governor of Svalbard [about statistics] for permissions to seek shelter there,” the Joint Headquarters told the Barents Observer.

Lars Fause, the Governor of Svalbard, responded promptly: “It is the Joint Headquarters that manages this, not us.”

Following some confusion, Fause clarified:

“We have not granted anything whatsoever. There are no domestic national rules that regulate this,” he said.

“Moreover, reference is made to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the articles governing passage within territorial waters,” he added.