AKADEMIK IOFFE
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Dutch Navy initercepted Russian vessel feared to endanger submarine infrastructure
The 'Akademik Ioffe' was escorted by the Royal Netherlands Navy by the HNLMS 'Johan de Witt' from Feb 5 to 7, 2026, as it passed the Netherlands via the North Sea. An NH90 maritime attack helicopter was also deployed from the Naval Air Station De Kooij, the Ministry of Defence announced on Feb 11. The Russian research vessel os officially deployed for expeditions to Antarctica and the High Arctic. In reality, there were fears that the ship was mapping vital infrastructure in the North Sea or engaging in other forms of espionage. Russian ships are permitted to sail through the Exclusive Economic Zone, but the Netherlands was keeping a close eye on them. There were fears that the Russians intended to image or damage vital infrastructure, such as data cables and pipelines on the bottom of the North Sea. The 'Akademik Ioffe' had entered Dutch waters from the south and headed north towards Kaliningrad, where it arrived on Feb 11.
Detention off Skagen
The 'Akademik Ioffe' has been detained by the Danish authorities in Skagen since Nov 2 at the request of the Court in Hjørring, and in connection with a compensation case brought by a Canadian company. The ship is owned by the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, but was previously chartered out to the Canadian company One Ocean Expeditions. In 2019, according to One Ocean Expeditions, the ship suddenly stopped sailing with passengers, which the Canadians considered as a breach of contract, and the consequent legal dispute now resulted in the detention in Skagen where the ship called to bunker with 38 crew members and 23 researchers on board. The Russian embassy in Copenhagen is now involved in the case. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also informed of the case. The ship remained moored off the port in pos. 57° 42.06' N 010° 36.05' E as of Nov 5.
Investigation report released on grounding
The investigation report released on June 8, 2021, by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) on the 'Akademik Ioffe', which ran aground in the Canadian Arctic on Aug 24, 2018, identified a number of safety deficiencies, as well as risks to be addressed: The 'Akademik Ioffe' was sailing through a remote area where none of the crew had ever been before, and which was not surveyed to modern hydrographic standards. It deviated from its original voyage plan over concerns about the weather impacting a planned passenger excursion. In preparing a new voyage plan to accommodate this, the master relied on a Canadian chart but was not aware it contained only partial bathymetric data, and he thus took no additional precautions to mitigate the risks of navigating in this area. Meanwhile, the low-water depth aural alarms on both echo sounders regarded as a nuisance had been turned off. Just prior to the grounding, the Officer of the Watch was multi-tasking and the helmsman was steering the vessel. With no other crew engaged in monitoring the situation or navigation equipment, the under-keel water depth steadily decreased. The vessel ran aground on an uncharted shoal before evasive measures could be taken. With more than 85 percent of Canadian Arctic waters having inadequate hydrographic data information, the likelihood of a similar occurrence involving passenger vessels engaged in adventure tourism is high. When incidents do occur, the cold, vast, and sparsely populated region presents additional risks to passenger survivability. This is compounded by a lack of timely search and rescue response in the area. Given these risks and with passenger vessel traffic in the Arctic on the rise additional steps are needed. That?s why the TSB issued recommendation M21-01, urging the major change agents Transport Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to develop and implement ?mandatory risk-mitigation measures for all passenger vessels? operating in these waters. Although the recommendation is not prescriptive, the Board highlighted optional measures which could include requiring more detailed inspections of vessels prior to entering the Arctic or possibly prohibiting vessels from transiting Arctic waters not adequately surveyed. Other measures noted in the report include mandatory carriage of additional navigational aids, mandatory use of supernumerary navigational experts, or ensuring other vessels are always nearby. Regardless of what measures are taken, the TSB report is clear: more needs to be done to mitigate risks, improve passenger safety, and protect a fragile and susceptible Arctic environment.
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