Myndighetsutøver, ressursforvalter og livredder – den russiske kystvakten i støpeskjeen

Abstract

The Russian Coast Guard, or Beregovaya okhrana, was formally established in 2007 and plays a crucial role in the management of natural resources located in the vast maritime areas under Russian jurisdiction. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the Coast Guard’s organisation, capabilities and operations in the maritime areas that surround the Russian Federation, and to discuss the service’s ability to effectively perform its missions, now and in the period up to 2020. Special emphasis is placed on the situation in the northern waters. In the Barents Sea, the Russian Coast Guard cooperates closely with its Norwegian counterpart. This cooperation has existed for a long time, and it has not been adversely affected by the general deterioration of Russian–Western relations after Russia’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine and the subsequent freeze in military-to-military cooperation. The article argues that Norway and Russia have a common interest in continuing the cooperation on non-military issues such as maritime search and rescue, fisheries management and law enforcement at sea.