Big smiles when FSB Major General Andrei Kudimov came to talk cooperation with Norway

It is not very often you see uniformed Russian FSB delegations being invited into neighbouring NATO member countries. That was what happened in northern Norway on Tuesday. Instead of meeting at the actual borderline, the Norwegians invited their counterparts on a voyage deep into the fjords on the western side of the joint land- and maritime border. 

There were smooth winds and a beautiful autumn sun when the Norwegian Coast Guard ship KV Barentshav left port from the border town Kirkenes for a five hour cruise with FSB onboard. 

The contrast was stark to the current stormy realities in European East-West relations. Moscow is sending drones into NATO territory and violates allied air space. The country's foreign ministry says Russia already is at war with the West. 

Only few days ago, Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Russian military aircraft on three recent occasions have violated Norwegian air space. All of the cases happened in eastern Finnmark, just few kilometres from where today's bilateral top meeting took place.

Nevertheless, there were smiles and apparently a good atmosphere when the Russian security bigwig disembarked the Norwegian coast guard ship and made it into the waiting military vehicles that shortly later escorted him to the border-crossing point 10 km away.

Despite its strong condemnation of Russia's war of aggression and the massive support for Ukraine, the Norwegian government continues to keep the door ajar for contact with Russia.

Over many years, the Chief of Norwegian Joint Headquarters has annually met with the leader of FSB's border directorate in Northwest Russia. The meetings continue. 

On the agenda are issues related to land border formalities, search and rescue at sea and fishery inspections in the Barents Sea

Media was neither informed nor invited to the meeting. 

However, the Barents Observer was waiting as the KV Barentshav returned to port after sailing in the nearby waters. We tried to get a comment from Major General Kudimov as he disembarked the ship. 

"Why did your aircraft violate Norwegian air space?" journalist Olesia Krivtsova shouted to the FSB chief from the other side of the fence in the harbour. 

Major General Kudimov didn't reply. 

"Why does the FSB torture people?" she asked.

Kudimov looked at her, but remained silent as he walked down the gangway. 

A minibus had been parked between the ship and the journalist, like a protection wall for the high-ranking FSB representative. 

Kudimov's delegation also included representatives of the Russian diplomatic service from the Embassy in Oslo. A car from the Russian general consulate in Kirkenes picked up the latter.

The FSB boss himself got into a Norwegian car together with Vice Admiral Rune Andersen, Head of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters (NJHQ). The two men took off towards Storskog, the border-crossing point between the two countries, with the rest of the Russian delegation following in a Norwegian military minibus.

Major General Andrei Kudimov has been in charge of the FSB's Border Directorate for Northwest Russia and the Arctic since August 2024. Before that, he headed the FSB border guards in Abkhazia, the Georgian region occupied by Russia. He has also served in the Russian regions of Sakhalin and Buryatia. 

Allegedly, he is himself a war veteran. Although it is not clear from which war. 

During a meeting with Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis in May 2025, he thanked the regional leader for his contribution to the so-called special military operation and praised him for efforts to recruit more soldiers. 

The Barents Observer met with Vice Admiral Rune Andersen later on Tuesday evening.

"Fishery control, control of the border, and search- and rescue; those are the three main topics on the agenda when we meet," Andersen said. 

The Vice Admiral was unwilling to elaborate on details, and would not confirm if Russia's recent air space violations were brought up.

"The atmosphere [in the meeting] was professional and polite, without any problems."

Asked why the Norwegians invited FSB onboard a voyage in the archipelago outside Kirkenes instead of holding the meeting at the borderline, Andersen said it was important to be on a Coast Guard vessel, as the fishery inspections is a main topic for the cooperation. 

"Fisheries is important for Norway, the control of the catch is important, which means that the job conducted by the Coast Guard on both sides is key for us, so it is natural to have this vessel as a venue for the talks."

Rune Andersen added that Norway has a special relation to Russia in the north. 

"Allied countries have respect for the work Norway does, and how we deal with the Russia."