Swedish military and coast guard have recorded an incident involving the Russian research vessel «Akademik Nikolai Strakhov» in Swedish territorial waters or the adjacent economic zone. The ship, which according to Western sources has repeatedly been linked to intelligence activities on behalf of Russia, suddenly lost propulsion.
According to preliminary information, a serious malfunction occurred in the vessel’s main power plant. Despite this, the Russian crew rejected the offer of technical assistance from Swedish rescue services, warships, and coast guard.
Swedish authorities stated that the vessel is in a relatively safe area, however its drift or anchoring near important shipping routes in the Baltic Sea is causing concern. A representative of the Swedish Coast Guard noted: “We offered full assistance, including towing and technical support, but received a refusal. We continue to monitor the situation.”
The vessel «Akademik Nikolai Strakhov» is part of the Russian scientific fleet and has previously conducted voyages in various regions of the World Ocean, including the Arctic. In Western media and NATO reports, it has repeatedly been mentioned in connection with possible collection of intelligence data on the alliance’s military infrastructure in the Baltic and Barents Seas. Moscow officially claims that all Russian scientific vessels are engaged exclusively in research activities. The Russian side has not yet provided official comments on the incident. According to some reports, there is a standard crew and scientific team on board; there is no threat to human life.