Norway reinforces northern flank as Russia steps up Arctic activity

Norway is significantly strengthening its military and surveillance capabilities in the Arctic amid growing concerns over what officials and experts describe as increased Russian hybrid activity around Svalbard, POLITICO reports.

The Arctic archipelago, which is Norwegian territory but has a special legal status under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, has become a growing focus of security concerns. Western officials and analysts fear Moscow could use the region to test NATO’s response amid uncertainty over the United States’ long-term commitment to European defence.

Allies suspect Russian vessels of probing critical undersea infrastructure near Svalbard and conducting activities designed to test the limits of the rules governing Russia’s presence on the archipelago.

“There is more tension in the Arctic and in the north, and of course also Svalbard is a part of that,” Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik told POLITICO. “We know that Russia ... uses a lot of ways to try to provoke or find ways to do hybrid threats.”

Despite being under Norwegian sovereignty, Svalbard’s main island, Spitsbergen, is also home to the Russian settlement of Barentsburg. Under the 1920 treaty, Norway’s sovereignty over the archipelago was recognised while other signatories were granted certain rights, including access to natural resources. The treaty also prohibits the use of Svalbard for “warlike purposes”, including the construction of naval bases and fortifications.

For decades, relations between Moscow and Oslo on Svalbard largely remained stable under Norway’s “High North, low tension” approach. However, that balance has come under increasing strain amid broader concerns over Russian hybrid activities across Europe.

“We call them gray zone provocations,” Kari Aga Myklebost, a professor of Russian history and Svalbard expert at Norway’s Arctic University, told POLITICO. “It’s a very cost-efficient way of asserting Russian presence and … challenging Norway's jurisdiction.”

Norway’s intelligence services have warned that the Kremlin “aims to increase Russian scope for action in Svalbard.” British, US and Norwegian forces reportedly detected Russian vessels testing a covert subsea cable-cutting system off Svalbard’s coast this spring.

Russia has also maintained its presence in Barentsburg despite declining coal reserves. According to company accounts, Moscow provided state-owned Trust Arktikugol, which operates the settlement, with about 1.89 billion rubles (€20 million) in federal subsidies in 2025.

Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolay Korchunov told POLITICO that Moscow wants to see a “transformation of the economic activities” in Barentsburg from coal production to services and said Arktikugol was investing in maintaining the settlement.

However, Korchunov rejected any suggestion that Moscow was challenging Norwegian sovereignty.

“But “we are not questioning any sovereignty of Norway,” Korchunov said. “We stress the necessity and importance of fulfilling all the Svalbard Treaty,” he said, accusing Oslo of contributing to a “negative trend towards NATO militarization of entire Baltic-Arctic region.”

Norwegian Vice Admiral Rune Andersen, chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, said the priority was “striking that balance between deterrence but maintaining stability” on Svalbard and remaining “calm and collected” in responding to hybrid threats.

At the same time, Norway is expanding its surveillance capabilities. Andersen said three new maritime mapping satellites are due to be launched next year, alongside “a renewal of the navy and coast guard … to have a continuous presence” in the area.

Norway is also purchasing five Type 26 anti-submarine frigates from the United Kingdom and six Type 212CD submarines from Germany. Oslo is further deepening military cooperation with allies, including London and Berlin, and recently held joint exercises around the northern Norwegian island of Jan Mayen.

“NATO countries ‘are more often up in our waters,’” Sandvik said, adding that defending Svalbard is also part of NATO’s planning process.

At the local level, authorities are seeking to prevent tensions from escalating. Svalbard Deputy Governor Katharina Rise said her office meets with Russia’s local consulate four times a year.

“We have good and constructive dialogue,” she said. “It's our responsibility to secure the stability and … low tension here.”

By Vafa Guliyeva