Norwegian Weapons Cargo Ship Runs Aground

A cargo ship carrying Norwegian weapons, intended to protect a Polish logistics hub that distributes military aid to Ukraine, ran aground off Norway’s coast, authorities reported on Friday.

The civilian vessel, Finlandia Seaways, was transporting some of the weapons announced by Oslo on Monday to safeguard the hub when it ran aground off southwestern Norway on Thursday.

“The vessel hit a shoal and sustained damage to its rudder and propeller. It had to be towed to a dock,” said Thomas Breivoll, a spokesman for the Sola rescue center, in a statement to AFP.

He added, “There was nothing dramatic about it.”

Norway’s defense ministry is deploying F-35 jet fighters, NASAMS surface-to-air missiles, and around 100 soldiers to secure the Rzeszow hub in Poland as part of a NATO member state rotation.

A significant portion of Western military aid to Ukraine, which has been resisting Russia’s invasion since 2022, passes through this logistical hub in southeastern Poland.

Hanne Olafsen, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian armed forces, stated that the ship was transporting “components of anti-aircraft materiel destined for Poland”.

“This will undoubtedly lead to a slight delay in the deployment of the contingent,” she told AFP.

The military equipment will be transferred from the Finlandia Seaways to another vessel, and the area around the ship has been secured.