In a press-release sent from the Northern Shipping Company’s main office in Arkhangelsk on Saturday, the company threatens to sue anyone distributing inappropriate information about the company.
In the press-release sent to BarentsObserver and several other Russian media, the company denies all involvement in the crash with the small Norwegian fishing vessel “Fløygunn” off the coast of Eastern Finnmark in the Barents Sea late evening on November 18th.
The Norwegian vessel later sank and the crew of three was rescued under dramatic circumstances.
The Norwegian police believe “Vladimir Timofeev” was involved and the Norwegian coast guard vessel “KV Farm” wanted to meet the Russian vessel, but the captain onboard “Vladimir Timofeyev” instead steamed towards Russian waters east of the Varanger Fjord before the coast guard vessel arrived.
In the press-release, Northern Shipping Company says they did not violate any Norwegian legislative norms by sailing into Russian waters, since the vessel hadn’t done anything wrong.
At the time of the crash, Thursday evening at 21.00 Norwegian time, “Vladimir Timofeyev” was eight miles west of the Norwegian fishing vessels, reads the press-release.
Northern Shipping Company also says another vessel was nearby the crash site. The vessel “Yutai Ambitions” was in the area according to navigation data from “Vladimir Timofeyev”.
Information from the vessel positions systems posted on MarineTraffic.com confirms that the Hong Kong flagged dry cargo vessel “Yutai Ambitions” was sailing eastwards of the coast of Finnmark towards Murmansk on Thursday evening November 18th. It is not possible to read from the vessel positioning system which vessel that was nearest the wooden Norwegian fishing vessel.
