The Professor Molchanov was the only vessel operating a direct passenger link between the Russian mainland and Svalbard | The Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company, Naftogaz, amid growing tensions between Moscow and NATO states over access to and control of the Arctic. ● The Professor Molchanov was detained on Wednesday while docked in Barentsburg, a Russian settlement on the Norwegian-administered archipelago. The Governor of Svalbard said the move followed an August 31 order by the Nord-Troms and Senja District Court granting Naftogaz the right to seize the ship. The vessel has been barred from leaving Barentsburg until further notice.

■  Lawyers work on lawsuit against Norway over Russian ship seizure in Spitsbergen — minister (TASS)

Norway Seizes Russian Ship in Barentsburg on Svalbard | Pål Steigan | Norwegian authorities seized the Russian vessel “Professor Molchanov” in Barentsburg on Svalbard following a request from the Ukrainian state-owned company Naftogaz, according to NRK.

■ According to the NRK article and several other sources (Reuters, Naftogaz itself, TV 2, Aftenposten, and others), this was done to ensure that Russia fulfills its outstanding obligations under an arbitration award. In April 2023, a court in The Hague ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz approximately $4.22 billion plus interest and legal costs as compensation for assets that were expropriated when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

■ The Nord-Troms and Senja District Court granted Naftogaz the right to seize the vessel (ruling of August 31, 2026), and the Governor of Svalbard carried out the seizure on September 2, 2026. The vessel must remain docked in Barentsburg until further notice. This is part of Naftogaz’s global effort to enforce its claim against Russian assets.

■ The district court has thus issued what can only be described as a letter of marque against Russian ships. This is definitely an escalation of the war on the Norwegian side, and it remains to be seen whether it is wise.

■ Russian media (e.g., RT) are describing it as an illegal act carried out at Ukraine’s request, and point out that Russia rejects the arbitration tribunal’s jurisdiction in the Naftogaz case. They also link this to Putin’s earlier warnings (August 2026) that the seizure of Russian ships constitutes “piracy” and that Russia will respond “in kind” where appropriate.

■ This form of warfare at sea has the drawback that it very quickly provokes corresponding countermeasures. Have the Norwegian authorities realized that they are jeopardizing the safety of the Norwegian merchant fleet, or does their support for the regime so blind them in Kyiv that they have forgotten there is such a thing as Norway’s national interests? (DeepL + Grammarly)

Glenn Diesen: I had the pleasure of being on MOATS with George Galloway to discuss the US panic as it cannot win the war against Iran and cannot accept the conditions for peace. Meanwhile, Germany continues on the path toward another war with Russia.

Caitlin Johnstone | Today in dystopia, war pundits have begun suggesting that the US could recruit sufficient troops for a ground invasion of Iran by offering young Americans debt forgiveness in exchange for enlisting. I guess it was only a matter of time. | It’s just everything ugly about the US empire all rolled up in one neat little package, isn’t it? Struggling American citizens strapped with mountains of bills because they live in a dystopia which plunges people into debt for the privilege of living on the planet they were born on, desperately enlisting to go kill people in an imperialist war of aggression overseas in the hope of one day getting their heads above water financially.

Leaked documents reviewed by Drop Site News detail millions in Israeli drone, surveillance and weapons deals with Uganda as Kampala prepares for a Gaza deployment. | Leaked internal documents reviewed by Drop Site News reveal details of a years-long military relationship between Uganda and Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, including multimillion-dollar agreements for Hermes surveillance drones, intelligence systems and other military equipment. ● The revelations come as Uganda moves toward deploying troops to the Gaza Strip as part of an international “stabilization force” proposed under US President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace", raising fresh questions about Kampala’s expanding security relationship with the Israeli regime. [...] The Ugandan government has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of the proposed deployment or clarified what role its troops would perform in Gaza, while opposition lawmaker Hassan Kirumira questioned the mission during the parliamentary debate, asking, “On which side is our army going to fight?’”

■ The Ugandan judge who voted against all ICJ rulings against 'Israel' (Al Mayadeen) (27 Jan 2024)
■ How Britain gifted Uganda for the creation of Israel territory (New Vision) (29th June 2016)
■ Zionist Congress: The Uganda Proposal (August 26, 1903) (Jewish Virtual Library)

📌 Leaked Files Reveal Uganda’s Secret Drone Deals with Israel (Murtaza Hussain) (Drop Site News)
📌 When Zionism Invaded Africa: The Story of General Idi Amin and Israel’s Influence in Uganda (T. Guzman)
📌 Amin, the ‘reliable helmsman’ falls out with the Israelis (Monitor Editorial)
📌 Idi Amin and His Israeli Enablers (Jack Sen)
✅ Entebbe Raid: What You Didn't Know ( Wilson Akiiki Kaija) (26 Jul 2016)
✅ Entebbe raid (Israeli-Ugandan history) (Britannica)

[Editor's Comment:] In 1972, Uganda’s dictator, Idi Amin, severed his long-standing ties with Israel. That's when Amin visited Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Amin owed Israel between $13 million and $18 million, which Amin was unable to repay. Here, one may surmise Amin's reason for seeing Africa's richest dictator. Gaddafi pledged an immediate $25 million loan to Amin. Too, Israel had refused to support him in his plans to attack neighboring Tanzania. As a result, Amin expelled 500 Israelis from Uganda and severed diplomatic relations.—The Entebbe operation took place in 1976. One might then ask: Was this a false-flag operation staged by Israel to punish Idi Amin?