Main image: The Orion in Kirkenes on May 28, 2025. The ship is owned by Norebo, the company that was included in the EU's 17th Sanctions Package. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Russian fishing companies have been caught spying on Norway’s underwater infrastructure.
Norway has imposed sanctions on two of Russia’s largest fishing companies, Norebo and Murman Seafood, suspecting them of espionage and monitoring underwater infrastructure. The Norwegian government announced this on Monday, reports thebarentsobserver.
According to the Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, these companies are part of a Russian state-backed intelligence operation targeting critical infrastructure in Norwegian and allied maritime zones. The EU included these companies in its 17th sanctions package in May.
The companies operate in the Barents and Norwegian Seas, with vessels frequently visiting ports in Tromsø, Botsfjord, and Kirkenes. One vessel, Melkart-5 of Murman Seafood, was seen near Svalbard where a fiber-optic cable was cut in January 2022. The crew was also fined for leaving Kirkenes port illegally towards a military zone. In July, the vessel arrived in Botsfjord port directly from Kaliningrad with no fishing activity signs.
Norwegian sanctions freeze the companies’ assets, ban financing, deny their vessels entry to Norwegian territorial waters and ports, and revoke fishing licenses in Norway’s exclusive economic zone.
Norebo denies the accusations, stating it only supplies high-quality seafood. Its owner, Vitaly Orlov, is close to Russian forces leadership and has seen his wealth grow substantially recently. The company has previously supported the ruling United Russia party.
Norwegian officials say the sanctions are necessary to counter Russian forces’ hybrid operations. Finnmark police chief Ellen Katrine Hetta called for banning Russian fishing vessels from Norwegian ports, though Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre ruled out full port closures, opting for increased control.
Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian fishing vessels have offloaded hundreds of millions of euros worth of seafood in Norwegian ports. Now their access to Norwegian and European infrastructure will be restricted.
