Press release 2015-04-22 at 13:59
Finnish Environment Institute's press release 22.4.2015
At the request of the Russian Navy, SYKE's research vessel R/V Aranda yesterday avoided a Russian submarine operating in international waters east of Gotland. The encounter lasted for approximately 2.5 hours, and the situation was handled in mutual agreement. The shipping company's Finnish crew and the vessel's Swedish research team did not consider the situation threatening. The Aranda is currently on a research cruise in international waters with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute SMHI.
The situation started early Tuesday morning as the Aranda was carrying out normal sampling operations in the Latvian EEZ. A Russian warship contacted the Aranda and requested that she change her course in order to avoid a submarine. In response, the Aranda altered her course.
An hour later, when the Aranda had moved to new sampling point in the Swedish EEZ, the Russians contacted her again, requesting her to move. However, the Aranda refused to move, as the sampling operations were just being carried out, as a result of which the captain of the Russian vessel advised her to avoid heading eastward, where two warships and a submarine were currently operating.
Towards the end of the encounter, a Swedish air force plane also arrived at the site to observe the situation. Soon after that, the Russian warship passed the Aranda at a distance of approximately 600 metres. The encounter was over at around 9 am.
In August–September last year, the Russian Navy twice hindered the Aranda's movement in international waters. At those times, some of the crew members and the research team considered the situation threatening. Following these incidents, SYKE and the shipping company clarified their operating instructions for similar situations.
More information
Director of the Marine Research Centre Pasi Laihonen, Finnish Environment Institute, tel. +358 (0) 295 251 343, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
Head of Unit Riitta Autio, Marine Research Centre/Research Vessels, Finnish Environment Institute, +358 (0) 295 251 079, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
Communications Director Kirsi Norros, Finnish Environment Institute, +358 (0) 295 251 460, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi