Russian Arctic

Russia is expanding its influence in the Arctic

With the construction of the new nuclear-powered icebreaker ‘Rossiya’, Russia is continuing its ambitious Arctic strategy.

Pyramiden, Frozen in Time

Léa Zinsli

Decades after its abandonment, the Soviet mining settlement of Pyramiden remains suspended between Arctic wilderness, preserved history and the slow return of nature.

PORT LAWNA: The Failure of a Billion-Dollar Project

Heiner Kubny

New facilities at the Lawna coal transshipment complex in Murmansk have been commissioned as part of the latest expansion phase of the coal terminal.

Milestone for floating nuclear power plants

Heiner Kubny

The Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom has made significant progress in its program for floating nuclear power plants.

New Study: Polar Bears under Pressure

Rosamaria Kubny

An international team of researchers has published a new report in the journal Ecological Monographs on the effects of climate change on the genetics and evolution of polar bears.

First “Woolly Mouse” as a Step Toward Reviving the Mammoth

Rosamaria Kubny

A genetically engineered mouse with strikingly dense, woolly fur is currently attracting attention in the scientific community.

How Modern Radar Systems Secure the Arctic

Heiner Kubny

The Arctic is increasingly moving into the focus of global politics. The reasons for this are vast natural resource deposits, new shipping routes emerging as ice melts, and its strategic location between major powers.

Brussels Imposes Sanctions on the Port of Murmansk

Heiner Kubny

On 23 April 2026, the European Union adopted new measures against Russia as part of its 20th package of sanctions. The focus is on the northern Russian port of Murmansk.

Russia’s LNG Projects Under Sanctions

Heiner Kubny

The Arctic is gaining increasing international importance due to its vast natural resources, especially natural gas.

Russia’s Icebreaker Program under Pressure

Heiner Kubny

Russia, once a global leader in icebreaker construction, is facing a potential strategic setback.

Putin’s Prestige Submarine Back in Service

Heiner Kubny

The return of the strategic nuclear submarine “Karelia” to active service marks a new phase in the expansion of Russia’s nuclear naval forces in the Arctic.

Arctic Fires as a Climate Warning Signal

Heiner Kubny

Wildfires are increasingly sweeping across regions of the Arctic that were long considered too cold and too wet for large-scale fires.

Sunken Nuclear Waste Legacy Sites in the Arctic Located

Heiner Kubny

Scientists located sunken vessels containing radioactive waste during an expedition with the research ship Akademik Ioffe in the Barents and Kara Seas.

Why Caribou Choose New Routes Every Year

Rosamaria Kubny

Caribou use collective experience to flexibly adapt their migrations to changing winter conditions.

Largest oil field discovered on Yamal in 30 years

Heiner Kubny

In the Arctic zone of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Gazprom Neft has discovered one of the most significant oil fields of the past 30 years.

How Polar Bears Regulate Their Energy Balance

Marcel Schütz

An adult male polar bear can lose or gain up to 60 kilograms of body weight within just a few days - an amount equivalent to the body weight of an average adult human.

Life and Extinction of Ice Age Megafauna

Rosamaria Kubny

With the end of the last Ice Age, not only did glaciers and ice sheets melt away. One of the most impressive animal communities in Earth’s history also vanished.

Woolly rhinoceros was the wolf’s last meal

Heiner Kubny

It was an extraordinary chain of circumstances that allowed paleontologists a unique glimpse into the past.

Russia plans to salvage sunken submarines

Heiner Kubny

The Russian government has included funds for the recovery of the sunken Soviet nuclear submarines K-27 and K-159 in the draft federal budget for the years 2026 to 2028.

Great Power Competition in the Arctic Is Intensifying

Heiner Kubny

Tensions between the United States, Russia, and China have increasingly spread to the Arctic.

Diomede Islands: Only 3.8 Kilometers Separate the USA and Russia

Heiner Kubny

Nestled in the harsh expanse of the Bering Strait, between Alaska and the Russian Chukotka Peninsula, lie the Diomede Islands.

Oil Pipeline Through the Permafrost

Heiner Kubny

With the “Vankor–Payakha–Sever Bay Pipeline,” Russia is pushing ahead with one of the largest energy projects in the High North.

Russia’s Arctic infrastructure is becoming increasingly vulnerable

Heiner Kubny

The destruction of permafrost and extreme weather events could cost the economy billions of dollars.

Russian LNG tankers continue to use Norwegian ports for stopovers

Heiner Kubny

Despite heightened geopolitical tensions and Western sanctions, Norway remains an important stopover point for LNG tankers transporting gas from the Russian Arctic.

Climate Change Puts Arctic Migratory Birds Under Time Pressure

Heiner Kubny

Climate change is altering the rhythm of nature, particularly noticeably in the Arctic. Spring now begins much earlier there than it did just a few decades ago.

South Korea Is Investing Heavily in Building Arctic-Capable Ships

Heiner Kubny

The South Korean government is pushing its Arctic strategy forward.

Global decline in reindeer population

Rosamaria Kubny

According to a new international scientific study, the global reindeer population will decline dramatically by the end of this century due to the climate crisis.

Atomflot sues Dutch shipping company

Heiner Kubny

On 25 July 2025, Atomflot filed a lawsuit against the Dutch company Damen Shipyards Gorinchem B.V. with the Murmansk Region Arbitration Court, demanding the repayment of €12.6 million in advance payments for the construction of ice-class tugboats for the Northern Sea Route.

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Guest article

MSC Reaffirms Its Decision to Avoid the Northern Sea Route

Guest Author

The shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has once again reiterated a stance it formulated years ago: the Northern Sea Route will continue to remain off-limits for the world’s largest container carrier. This is a clear signal in favor of environmental protection and safety.

Russian Arctic

Russia is expanding its influence in the Arctic

Pyramiden, Frozen in Time

PORT LAWNA: The Failure of a Billion-Dollar Project

Milestone for floating nuclear power plants

New Study: Polar Bears under Pressure

First “Woolly Mouse” as a Step Toward Reviving the Mammoth

How Modern Radar Systems Secure the Arctic

Brussels Imposes Sanctions on the Port of Murmansk

Russia’s LNG Projects Under Sanctions

Russia’s Icebreaker Program under Pressure

Putin’s Prestige Submarine Back in Service

Arctic Fires as a Climate Warning Signal

Sunken Nuclear Waste Legacy Sites in the Arctic Located

Why Caribou Choose New Routes Every Year

Largest oil field discovered on Yamal in 30 years

How Polar Bears Regulate Their Energy Balance

Life and Extinction of Ice Age Megafauna

Woolly rhinoceros was the wolf’s last meal

Russia plans to salvage sunken submarines

Great Power Competition in the Arctic Is Intensifying

Diomede Islands: Only 3.8 Kilometers Separate the USA and Russia

Oil Pipeline Through the Permafrost

Russia’s Arctic infrastructure is becoming increasingly vulnerable

Russian LNG tankers continue to use Norwegian ports for stopovers

Climate Change Puts Arctic Migratory Birds Under Time Pressure

South Korea Is Investing Heavily in Building Arctic-Capable Ships

Global decline in reindeer population

Atomflot sues Dutch shipping company

Get our app on your mobile

Guest article

MSC Reaffirms Its Decision to Avoid the Northern Sea Route

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