The plan was to attach a Greenpeace pod to Gazprom's platform and launch a peaceful protest against oil being pumped from the icy waters of the Arctic. However, heavily armed commandos flooded the deck of the Arctic Sunrise and the Arctic Thirty began their ordeal at the hands of Putin's regime.
Here are the photos that the Russian authorites consficated from photographer Denis Sinyakov before arresting him and sending him and his fellow activists to a Russian jail. They have only just been returned and are now being released to the media.
You can see the images in full, and read the extraordinary story of the Arctic 30, in Ben Stewart's new book 'Don't Trust, Don't Fear, Don't Beg'. Buy it here: http://bit.ly/1HtermC
The Russian Secret Service land on the deck of the Arctic Sunrise at sunset © Denis Sinyakov
The crew all gather as commandos land on deck © Denis Sinyakov / Greenpeace
Crew with their hands up as they are arrested at gunpoint © Denis Sinyakov / Greenpeace
Masked commando arrests Frank © Denis Sinyakov / Greenpeace
Anne Mie pleads through the window as commando handles Dima roughly © Denis Sinyakov / Greenpeace
