On 25 July 2025, Atomflot filed a lawsuit against the Dutch company Damen Shipyards Gorinchem B.V. with the Murmansk Region Arbitration Court, demanding the repayment of €12.6 million in advance payments for the construction of ice-class tugboats for the Northern Sea Route. The Damen Shipyards Group consists of 55 companies, including 35 shipyards worldwide. It delivers more than 175 ships annually and employs around 12,500 people.
In 2021, Atomflot ordered five ice-class tugs from the Dutch company Damen B.V. for € 42.1 million. These ships were to be used by NOVATEK subsidiary Arctic Transshipment for LNG transfers along the North Sea route. They were to be delivered by the end of November 2022. However, in March 2022, the Dutch company announced the suspension of work on all existing contracts with Russian customers. This became the basis for the lawsuit.
Rosmorport had previously made similar claims against Damen B.V. Under seven contracts, the company demanded the repayment of advance payments totalling €22.5 million. The Moscow Arbitration Court upheld Rosmorport’s claims and ordered the payment of the outstanding amount. Damen’s arguments regarding sanctions and force majeure were rejected.
The Moscow Arbitration Court initially awarded the company approximately €4.4 million in compensation for exchange rate losses. However, the amount was later recalculated and increased to approximately €63 million. In the course of the proceedings, Damen B.V. attempted to contest Rosmorport’s claims and filed a counterclaim, which the court in Moscow dismissed.
Russian companies are suing foreign companies that have left the Russian market due to international sanctions in Russian courts. Their objectives are unclear. They would most likely lose such cases in international courts, so it is unlikely that they will be awarded compensation. On the other hand, this could serve as an additional PR measure domestically and reinforce the narrative of the ‘legitimacy’ of Russian companies.
Significant decline in turnover at Damen B.V.
Various Dutch media outlets reported that existing contracts include fishing boats and workboats for the Russian market. A spokesperson for Damen B.V. told a Dutch newspaper that the decision had a ‘significant impact’ on the company and involved a ‘considerable amount,’ without specifying exact figures. As Russian customers has been important for Dutch yacht building, it is to be expected that Damen B.V.’s decision will also have an impact on the company’s yacht division.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal