Russia is actively increasing its militarisation of the Arctic, planning to restore Soviet bases and deploy long-range systems. The Kremlin is already testing underwater platforms and conducting manoeuvres near Alaska.
This was reported by the Centre for Countering Disinformation.
Moscow is turning the Arctic into an instrument of hybrid influence — from information campaigns about the ‘stabilising role of the Russian Federation’ to the creation of dual-use infrastructure along the Northern Sea Route, which can be used for reconnaissance and military logistics.
Behind the facade of ‘regional development’ lies the desire to legitimise its military presence and put pressure on the security of the United States and its NATO allies.
At the same time, the Kremlin is trying to demonstrate the ‘successful development of the North’: it is building logistics hubs in Dudinka, preparing a forum entitled ‘The Arctic: Present and Future’ for December, and reporting on hundreds of ‘residents’ of the Arctic zone.
According to experts, this is part of a strategy to create an ‘Arctic corridor of pressure’ — an attempt to force Washington to spread its resources between the North and the Indo-Pacific region.
At the same time, Russia's real capabilities are far from what it claims. Ministry of Transport officials acknowledge delays in the construction of the fleet for the Northern Sea Route, postponement of restrictions on transportation ‘only by Russian vessels,’ a chronic shortage of tankers and icebreakers, and dependence on imported technologies blocked by sanctions.
Such failures undermine Moscow's claims to ‘Arctic leadership’ and demonstrate the gap between the Kremlin's aggressive rhetoric and its actual capabilities.