Environmental activists from Greenpeace announced on Tuesday that they have ended their ongoing protest against Russia’s oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean.
“Greenpeace’s five-day action has ended, but the battle for the Arctic continues,” the organization said in a statement posted on their Russian website.
The series of actions began last Friday, when six activists, led by executive director of Greenpeace International Kumi Naidoo, scaled the side of the Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea and remained suspended there for 15 hours, holding a banner reading “Save the Arctic.”
Then, on Monday, Naidoo and 13 other activists approached the vessel Anna Akhmatova, which ferries oil workers to the Prirazlomnaya rig, in inflatable boats and chained themselves to the vessel’s anchor. They were forced to end the protest when sailors aboard the ship doused them with high-pressure water cannons.
“Our campaign against Gazprom, Shell and other oil giants will continue in order to stop the irresponsible plans for oil production in the Arctic and to inspire even more people around the world to join the nearly two million defenders of the Arctic who have voiced their support for the creation of an international Arctic reserve,” Naidoo said in the statement.
Greenpeace criticizes what it claims is Gazprom's lack of a spill response plan for its Arctic operations.
“With this peaceful protest, we want to stave off the potential disaster that becomes possible when this platform begins its operations,” Naidoo said after the August 24 protest. “Greenpeace actions are directed against the dangerous plans of drilling in the Arctic, and not against the workers who, as are all of us, hostages of the oil industry.”
Russia has stepped up its exploration of Arctic oil reserves in recent years, having signed agreements with international partners including Statoil, Total and ExxonMobil to help exploit the region’s natural resources.
Gazprom has promised to start drilling this summer and begin oil production by early next year.
