Two journalists covering the protest face the same charges. Greenpeace Russia Director Ivan Blokov expressed relief that the piracy charges had been dropped, but maintained all the activists and journalists are innocent.

"Of course, our activists are neither pirates nor hooligans," Blokov said. "Hooliganism charges, like piracy charges, can be brought only if there was violence or the threat of violence. It is clear that Greenpeace activists could not use any kind of violence and in the 42 years of the organization's existence, there was not a single case of use of violence. This does not happen and this cannot happen."