[Brief] Baltic, Atlantic. Arctic Sea Odyssey, first episodes (v3)

(BRUSSELS2) The Arctic Sea was not the victim of an act of piracy. The European Commission today (14 August) denied that the disappearance of the Arctic Sea between the English Channel and the Atlantic could not be attributed to an act of piracy. Summer briefs.

(Friday July 24) A Finnish merchant ship, under the Maltese flag, with a Russian crew is attacked, on July 24,… in the Baltic Sea.

Yes, you read correctly ! This is the first act of piracy in these waters since the end of the Second World War. The Arctic Sea carried timber from Finland to Algeria. The hooded "pirates" stormed the boat in the night, posing as police officers looking for narcotics. They stayed 12 hours on board. Then left the boat without really taking anything. The boat then continued on its way to Algeria. The investigation was entrusted to the Swedish police, as the incident took place in its waters. According to a Swedish daily, the "pirates" would have taken the wrong ship. However, the case remains mysterious.

(Tuesday August 11) Still no news from the merchant vessel “Arctic sea disappeared from radar screens in the Atlantic as it was en route to Algeria (where it should have arrived on August 4).

This Finnish merchant ship, under the Maltese flag, with a Russian crew, was attacked on July 24,… in the Baltic Sea, by a team of pirates who only stayed on board for 12 hours before leaving the scene. The ship then continued on its way before disappearing... mysteriously. His last sign of life dates from August 1st. Her owner Solchart has asked for help from Russia to find her. According to the commander of the Russian naval forces, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency, four warships attached to the Russian Black Sea Fleet are currently in the region, between Gibraltar and the Portuguese coast.

(Friday August 14) "We have to be very careful," said Martin Selmayr, the Commission's chief spokesman.

More "The services of the European Commission are fully aware of what appears to be the disappearance of an EU-flagged vessel. Radio signals HAVE BEEN received from this vessel which WAS PURELY attacked, twice, off the Swedish coast and then the Portuguese coast. According to the information available, these reported attacks have no relation to traditional acts of piracy or attack at sea for theft. Coordination between the Member States concerned is underway. No additional comments from the European Commission so as not to prevent ongoing operations.” concludes the spokesperson, who will say no more.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Read also: Disappearance of the Arctic Sea. Piracy, not piracy but so what

Updated August 11 and August 14