Russia has dropped piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists, replacing them with hooliganism charges, according to officials.
The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years rather than 15, Russian news website Lenta said.
The Arctic Sunrise was seized more than four weeks ago by Russian security forces after some activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform.
All 30 people on board - including two freelance journalists - were detained.
So far all bail applications in the case have been refused.
Vladimir Markin, the head of Russia's main investigating agency the Investigative Committee, told Russian news agencies that the charges had been reclassified.
Last week, 11 Nobel prize-winners wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to drop the charges of piracy.
Mr Putin said last month that the activists had violated international law but it was "absolutely evident that they are, of course, not pirates".
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