French Authorities Block Greenpeace Ship From Participating In UN Ocean Conference
Greenpeace International will write a formal letter of complaint to the United Nations, deploring the behaviour of the hosting French government. Civil society participation is a core element of the UN Ocean Conference.
The presence of the Arctic Sunrise in Nice would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French secret services in Auckland.
Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Ellie Hooper says, "It's ironic that so close to the 40th anniversary of the French Government's attempt to silence Greenpeace here in Auckland by bombing the Rainbow Warrior, the French Government is again trying to shut us down by blocking our ship from entering Nice."
"But just like we were not silenced then, neither will we be silenced now. Climate change, ecosystem collapse, and accelerating species extinction pose an existential threat, and our work has never been more important."
The Arctic Sunrise had been invited by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the "One Ocean Science Congress" and in the Ocean wonders parade taking place right before the UN Ocean Conference.
Greenpeace International had intended to deliver the messages of three million people calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining to the politicians attending the conference. The ship's entry to Nice has now been blocked.
Mads Christensen, Greenpeace International's Executive Director, says, "The French authorities' attempt to silence fair criticism ahead of this UN Ocean Conference is clearly a political decision and is utterly unacceptable. Greenpeace and our ships have been working peacefully to protect the oceans for decades. The Arctic Sunrise highlighted the failure of the French government to properly protect its Marine Protected Areas - where bottom trawling is still permitted - and now we are being punished.
"France wants this to be a moment where they present themselves as saviours of the oceans, while they want to silence any criticism of their own failures in national waters. We will not be silenced. We believe the voices of the three million calling for a stop to deep sea mining must be heard in Nice. Greenpeace and the French government share the same objective to get a moratorium on deep sea mining, which makes the ban of the Arctic Sunrise from Nice even more absurd."
Millions of people around the world have joined Greenpeace's campaign to stop deep sea mining from starting. In 2023, the Arctic Sunrise crew took action at sea to bear witness to the threat of the deep sea mining industry. They peacefully protested against The Metals Company, which had been publicly accused of "environmental piracy" by the French government a few weeks ago, given their attempt to bypass international law by requesting an exploitation permit through President Trump's administration.
Right now, the Rainbow Warrior is in the Tasman Sea to expose the damage being done to ocean life there and will be in New Zealand to mark the anniversary of the bombing in Auckland on 10 July.
Onboard photographer Fernando Pereira died in the attack, which came soon after Operation Exodus, in which the Greenpeace flagship had evacuated victims of American nuclear tests on Rongelap Atoll and was preparing to oppose French nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll.
Following the first-ever deep sea mining licence application by The Metals Company to the United States, Greenpeace says that now is the time to resist and stop this industry from starting.
This UN Ocean Conference will be a key moment to galvanise support ahead of the July meeting of the International Seabed Authority, the UN regulator.
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Ochichenko joined Kovalev in being charged by a federal grand jury for targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine and political organisations in France, as well as operations against Georgia. Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov is a mid-ranking GRU officer implicated in cyber espionage and hacking campaigns targeting Western governments. The FBI has accused him of targeting and compromising critical infrastructure in dozens of Western countries. He is wanted by the FBI for alleged cyber attacks between December 2020 and August 2024. Unlike his colleagues, the spy agency does not know where Borovkov is located. The FBI has a US$10 million ($16.7m) reward for anyone who can provide information leading to his whereabouts. Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin is another GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure and political entities. Like Borovkov, the FBI has accused him of criminal cyber activities between December 2020 and August 2024, and has a $10m reward for information on his whereabouts. He is known for his role in hacking campaigns aimed at stealing sensitive data and disrupting systems, with a focus on international targets. Yuriy Federovich Denisov, another GRU operative within Unit 29155, hacked campaigns targeting global infrastructure, focusing on espionage and data theft. Like Borovkov and Korchagin, he is accused of criminal cyber activities by the FBI between December 2020 and August 2024, and stands accused of targeting critical infrastructure across dozens of Western countries. Denisov is wanted by the FBI with a US$10m reward for information leading to his arrest. A senior GRU officer in Unit 26165, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov is known for orchestrating spear-phishing campaigns during the 2016 US presidential election. With Osadchuk, he was accused of stealing documents from US officials during the election before releasing them to interfere with its outcome. He was also accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics, with Serebriakov. Aliases include 'Kate S Milton', 'James McMorgans' and 'Karen W Millen', according to the FBI. Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev has served as a senior lieutenant in Russia's GRU. Like many others on this list, he has been charged in the US for his part in the conspiracy to interfere with democracy during the 2016 US election, including by focusing on stealing and leaking sensitive documents. Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets, an officer assigned to Unit 26165, is known for his involvement in the GRU's cyber activities targeting international organisations, particularly the 2018 cyber attack attempt against the OPCW in The Hague, with Serebriakov. The FBI has also accused him of targeting anti-doping agencies across the US and globally during the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2016, joining charges that were filed against Yermakov and Serebriakov. Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev is another GRU officer and a senior member of Unit 26165, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is accused of hacking campaigns targeting political and governmental entities during the 2016 US presidential election. Artem Adreyevich Malyshev is another GRU officer and a senior lieutenant of Unit 26165. The FBI has accused him of hacking campaigns targeting political and government entities during the 2016 US presidential election. He was also charged with aggravated identity theft, false registration of a domain name, and conspiracy to commit money laundering during this period. Malyshev is also one of seven Russians to be accused of targeting anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Sergey Sergeyevich Vasyuk and Andrey Eduardovich Baranov are linked with Unit 29155, involved in cyber and covert operations. Suspected activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political entities to support Russian intelligence. Vitaly Aleksandrovich Shevchenko, another member of Unit 29155, was one of three Russian nationals previously sanctioned by the Council of the European Union for carrying out 'malicious cyber activities' against Estonia. Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko is a GRU operative associated with Unit 29155. His activities include hacking and espionage efforts targeting foreign infrastructure and political organisations. Victor Borisovich Netyksho is one of the 12 GRU officers wanted by the FBI for interference in the 2016 presidential election. The FBI had photos of 11 officers but Netyksho remained faceless until a Ukrainian 'hacktivist' group intervened. The personal data and a photograph of Netyksho was published by 'Kiber Sprotyv', which translates to 'Cyber Resistance' in 2023. They managed to get hold of the information by hacking the email account of his wife, Oksana Serhiyivna Netyksho. He is thought to be a senior GRU officer and commander of Unit 26165. Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov is a GRU operative within Unit 29155, involved in cyber operations targeting global infrastructure. His activities focus on hacking and espionage, targeting political and governmental entities. Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev is a Russian individual associated with disinformation campaigns. As chief editor of the African Initiative, Kureyev is allegedly involved in creating and spreading false narratives to manipulate public perception. According to Bloomberg, he has had frequent contacts with around half a dozen European journalists, often arranging and covering their travel costs for some of them to visit occupied territories in Ukraine. Documents seen by the news outlet show he appears to have paid to plant news articles. African Initiative is a Russian media and influence organisation, masquerading as a news agency and information platform. It has sought to present itself as a Moscow-based news agency that covers events across the continent. But in reality, it is considered to be the 'main vehicle' for Russia's disinformation activities across the continent, according to a report by Viginum, a French agency which monitors foreign digital interference. This unit, known as Unit 29155 – which includes Ochichenko – is a covert Russian military intelligence facility under the GRU. It is tasked with training operatives in sabotage, assassination, and unconventional warfare. Unlike traditional cyber units, this secretive centre prepares agents for covert operations abroad, including targeted assassinations and subversion tactics. A masked officer cordons off a carpark in Salisbury, Britain, near the bench where Sergei Skripal was found in March 2018 after being poisoned with a nerve agent. Photo / Getty Images It has been linked to several high-profile incidents such as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain and the attempted assassination of defectors across Europe. Unit 26165, also known as the 85th Main Special Service Centre, is a key cyber warfare unit of the Russian GRU, based in Moscow. Led by Netyksho, it specialises in offensive cyber operations, including hacking, data theft and spear-phishing campaigns targeting government, political and private sector entities around the world. Unit 26165 is notorious for its role in high-profile cyber attacks, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) email hack during the 2016 US presidential election. Unit 74455, known publicly as Sandworm, is another specialised division focusing on cyber operations, including the deployment of malware, hacking campaigns, and disinformation. The military unit is suspected of being behind a cyber attack against the Ukrainian power grid in 2015, interference into the French presidential election in 2017, and a cyber attack on the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. In August 2023, a joint report by the intelligence agencies in the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand accused Sandworm of a new malware campaign. The malware, dubbed 'Infamous Chisel', targeted Android devices used by the Ukrainian military.
