Norwegian firm explains why its ship didn’t rescue Russian crew

The decision for the sailors to remain in their lifeboat was taken by a Spanish maritime authority, the company has said

A Norwegian maritime firm has denied responsibility for not allowing sailors from a distressed Russian freighter to board one of its ships. Officials in Moscow have described the incident as “outrageous” and a potential breach of international law.

Russian vessel the Ursa Major sank on Monday in the waters between Algeria and Spain, after what its operator, the state-owned Oboronlogistics, called a suspected terrorist attack. On Tuesday evening, the company reported that a Norwegian ship, Oslo Carrier 3, had been in the vicinity but had not allowed 14 Russian sailors who had escaped the doomed vessel in a lifeboat to come on board.

Bulkship Management AS, the owner of the Norwegian vessel, claimed on Friday that it had followed instructions from the MRCC Cartagena, the Spanish maritime authority that handles all rescue missions in the area where the incident with the Ursa Major occurred.

“MRCC ordered the Master not to take crew from vessel in distress on board as their rescue boat was on the way to the scene,” the statement said. “In the meantime, the lifeboat was secured alongside our vessel until the rescue boat arrived.”

“The weather was good, none of the crew in the lifeboat were injured and there was no imminent danger to them,” it added.

READ MORE: Kremlin comments on alleged Norwegian refusal to save Russian sailors

Oboronlogistics, a subsidiary of the Russian Defense Ministry, claimed that by barring the sailors from boarding the ship, the Norwegians had violated international maritime law. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that if the assertion is confirmed, the actions of the shipmaster would call for “universal condemnation.”

The 142-meter Ursa Major had been en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok at the time of the incident. Two crew members remain missing as of Friday.