Ukrainian Naval Officer Faces Charges Following Cargo Ship Incident off Norway's Coast

A Ukrainian officer is facing charges after he admitted to dozing off while steering a cargo ship that ran aground alarmingly close to a home in Norway.

This incident unfolded on the morning of may 22, 2025, in Byneset, near Trondheim. The NCL Salten, a cyprus-flagged container vessel measuring 135 meters (443 feet), missed an meaningful turn and crashed into the shore, stopping just 5 to 7 meters from a nearby cabin.

The Trøndelag Police District reported that the officer, who is in his thirties and was alone on the bridge at the time of the mishap, confessed during questioning that he had fallen asleep while on duty. This lapse caused the ship to continue straight instead of making a right turn toward Orkanger port.

He has been charged under Section 14 of Norway’s Ship Safety and Security Act for “negligent navigation,” wich mandates safe operation practices for vessels to protect lives and property.

Fortunately, none of the sixteen crew members aboard were injured. However, as part of standard procedure following such incidents, authorities have also named the ship’s captain as a suspect.

Investigators are delving into whether proper regulations regarding crew work hours and bridge manning were followed. Several crew members were interviewed recently as part of this inquiry. The police have seized logs and other documentation related to this case.

Prosecutor Kjetil Bruland Sørensen mentioned that they are piecing together what happened leading up to this event while assessing if there were enough crew members monitoring operations at that time.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) has been notified and is actively involved in both investigating and managing salvage efforts for the grounded vessel. they confirmed their teams are closely monitoring developments around it.

Initial attempts to refloat NCL Salten didn’t succeed; thus far geotechnical assessments have been ordered due to reports about landslides near where it ran aground—prompting evacuations from one nearby house as a precautionary measure.

Surveys indicated damage primarily confined to it’s forecastle and some ballast tanks filled with seawater—meaning no immediate pollution threat exists despite some structural issues not complicating salvage operations too severely.

To be safe though, pollution control vessels have been dispatched just in case any environmental risks arise during recovery efforts led by NCL—the shipping company responsible for managing salvage plans will submit proposals for review by NCA officials who may request further safety measures if needed. No timeline has yet been established regarding when they expect accomplished refloating might occur.Johan Helberg owns one cabin perilously close where this incident occurred; he recounted waking up mere meters away from where the bow halted its advance—describing it as surreal as he had only moments before drifted off himself! Another neighbour recalled being jolted awake by loud noises only then realizing how close danger had come—a truly alarming experience!

Interestingly enough, reports surfaced indicating that NCL Salten had previously run aground back in 2023 but managed self-refloating without assistance then—a stark contrast highlighting potential ongoing concerns about operational safety standards within maritime logistics today!

NCL confirmed their full cooperation with authorities throughout both investigations surrounding these events along with ongoing salvage operations moving forward.