HELSINKI, FINLAND – Activists from environmental group Greenpeace blocked a shipment of Russian gas from unloading at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Finland, the terminal owner and Greenpeace said.
The activists demanded Helsinki stop importing Russian gas after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine more than six months ago.
“The shipment contained liquefied natural gas coming from Russia,” a spokeswoman for Finnish company Gasum that imported the blocked gas, Olga Vaisanen, told AFP.
The director for the terminal’s operator, Manga LNG, Mika Kolehmainen, said the action took place around 7:00 am (0400 GMT) at Tornio port.
The operator said the activists had climbed the loading arms that allow for the transfer of material and there were two Greenpeace ships outside the terminal’s area, close to the Swedish border.
Greenpeace activists took similar action last week, blocking a shipment of Russian gas from unloading in Sweden.
“It’s completely unacceptable that Russia gas is still allowed to flow in Finland, more than six months after Putin launched his invasion,” Greenpeace activist, Olli Tiainen, said in a statement.
“The Finnish government and Prime Minister Sanna Marin must ban all fossil fuel imports from Russia immediately,” he added.
There are currently no EU or Swedish sanctions on gas imports from Russia, only on oil and coal.
Russia cut gas deliveries by pipeline to Finland in May, claiming there were issues with payments, but deliveries by sea continue.