Fishery tycoon Vitaly Orlov's new super-trawler arrives in Norwegian port Kirkenes

"The Kapitan Sokolov is here to change crew and take onboard trawler equipment," a representative of local port authorities says to the Barents Observer.

The 81 metre long factory trawler can produce up to 40 tons of cod and haddock filets in a day, or alternatively 60 tons of frozen fish. It can also produce tinned fish and fish flour. It has a storage capacity of 1020 tons of frozen fish, as well as 334 tons of fish flour and 95 tons of tinned fish. 

The vessel made port call in Kirkenes on April 22. It is due to continue to its new home port of Murmansk in the course of the week.

Ship agent Arve Henriksen from Henriksen Shipping Service (HSS) says to the Barents Observer that Russian fishing vessels, including the Kapitan Sokolov, are visiting Kirkenes with "about same purpose as before."

Henriksen emphasises that the HSS is paying big attention to international sanctions imposed on Russian ships. 

"We take no chances. We have only little activity left because we exclusively handle port calls that are not subjected to sanctions. We handle no sanctioned goods or services," he underlines.

Ship owner Norebo has not responded to a request for a comment to this article.

The Kapitan Sokolov was built at the Northern Yard in St. Petersburg. It is described by Russia's Fishery Agency as "one of the most modern trawlers in the world."

On board is a crew of 80. 

The ship is made for sailing in far northern waters and has ice-class Ice3. It has a characteristic round bow that is designed for smoother sailing in rough waters.

The Kapitan Sokolov is the first in a fleet of ten new-generation trawlers of the 170701 Project. Several more ships of the class will be delivered to Norebo over the next years. Next in the line is Kapitan Breikhman, which was put on the water at the Northern Yard in 2022.

The Kapitan Sokolov is not the first brand new Russian trawler that sails to Kirkenes straight after delivery from the shipyard. Earlier this year, the Orion also made its first port call to the Norwegian port town.

Norebo is Russia's biggest seafood company. It is based in Murmansk and owned by Vitaly Orlov, the 59-year-old tycoon that is believed to have a fortune of more than $2 billion. Judging from figures from Forbes, the fortune almost doubled between 2024 and 2025.

Orlov reportedly lived in Norway in the years 1996-2014. He gave up his Norwegian citizenship when he returned to his home region of Murmansk, Forbes reports.

He started his business career with the company Ocean Trawler, together with partners Magnus Roth and Aleksandr Tugushev. 

In early 2023, Vitaly Orlov reportedly transferred control over Norebo Europe, a wholesale unit based in London, to his son Nikita.