On the morning of November 19, 2025, a special kind of magic lay over the Yokosuka Naval Base. The Japanese observation vessel Shirase was preparing to embark on its journey to Antarctica. More than 500 relatives and friends came to bid farewell. (Photo: JARE67 Miho Ikeda)On the morning of 19 Novemb
LNG Merak is the second of four conventional gas tankers ordered in China. (Photo: Hudong-Zhonghua)Despite heightened geopolitical tensions and Western sanctions, Norway remains an important stopover point for LNG tankers transporting gas from the Russian Arctic. As the analysis portal High North Ne
Norway has decided to halt deep-sea mining plans in Arctic waters until at least 2029. The move, announced on 1 December 2025, is part of a political compromise tied to the 2026 state budget. No new licenses will be issued during the current legislative term, and public funding for seabed mineral ma
The LNG tanker “Christophe de Margerie” was built by DSME in South Korea and has the Russian ice class ARC7. The ship is capable of navigating the Northern Sea Route without the assistance of icebreakers. (Photo: SCF)The South Korean government is pushing its Arctic strategy forward: for the first t
On the southwestern edge of Greenland lies the ghost town of Ivittuut. Once a lively settlement due to its global importance in the production of metallic aluminum. From Arctic hamlet to globally significant settlementOn the southwestern edge of Greenland, on the quiet Arsuk Fjord, lies Ivittuut – t
In March 2022, the Dutch company announced the suspension of work on all existing contracts with Russian customers.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 i
Handover of the “Memorandum of Arrangement.” Photo: New Zealand EmbassyBern – This week, New Zealand’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Craig Hawke, handed over the Memorandum of Arrangement between Antarctica New Zealand and the Swiss Polar Institute to the President of the Swiss Polar Institute, Prof. F
Greenland is a politically self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The island is very sparsely populated, with approximately 56,200 inhabitants, or 0.026 inhabitants per square kilometre. (Photo: Heiner Kubny)Forty years after leaving the EEA, Greenland is seeking closer ties with the EU agai
Fish of the cod family range from 15 centimeters to two meters in length. Cod is also an important food fish.The Barents Sea faces the threat of an environmental disaster following the potential collapse of the fisheries agreement between Norway and Russia. In July 2025, the Norwegian government, fo
Russia and China will train Specialists for Maritime Navigation in Polar RegionsHangzhou, November 4, 2025 – Russia and China will jointly train specialists for navigation in polar waters, according to a memorandum signed during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to China, the Russian
The most important industry in Chukotka is the mining of precious metals.Chukotka is a remote region in north-eastern Russia, home to several large gold mines. The region is known for its harsh climate and difficult living conditions. The traditional industries of the Chukchi and other indigenous et
As part of this expedition, China plans to drill into deep lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet for the first time. Using hot water and melt drilling systems, boreholes will be drilled through more than 3,000 metres of ice. Departure ceremony for the Chinese polar research icebreakers Xuelong and X
Svalbard – On October 21, 2025, the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard was opened once again. More than 21,000 new samples from 20 international gene banks made their way into the frozen mountain above the airport of Longyearbyen. The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard. It is opened about three times a year t
The first floating power plant is stationed in the port of Pevec, in the far east of Russia. (Photo: Rosatom)Rosatom has begun developing a new floating nuclear power plant with a capacity of 180 megawatts. This was announced by the deputy director general of the corporation, Andrei Nikipelov. ‘We p
The container ship «Istanbul Bridge» sails through the Northeast Passage in record time. (Photo: Port Zhoushan)The Chinese container ship «Istanbul Bridge» has completed the route from China to the United Kingdom via the Arctic in just 20 days. Never before has a ship sailed through the Northeast Pa
Abandoned buildings in Colesbukta – a Russian flag has been attached to one of them. (Photo: Marcel Schütz)The Russian state-owned company Trust Arktikugol has expressed its interest in building a road connection between the settlement of Barentsburg and the long-abandoned ghost town of Colesbukta i
On Aug. 15, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. It will reportedly be the first time a Russian leader has set foot in Alaska since Russia sold the territory to the U.S. 178 years ago. To mark the 150th anniversar
In response to the new geopolitical realities from Russia and China and a divergent USA, key European nations are fundamentally rebuilding their Arctic security through new strategic alliances, policies, and military investments. As the ice melts, a new geopolitical reality is dawning in the High No
The US icebreaker program is struggling amidst high costs and delays while a Finnish-Canadian consortium could help but is hampered by the current trade policy of the US government. While both Russia and China have stepped up their Arctic policies by also continuing to build new icebreakers and ice-
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the French defense strategy for the Arctic, a new research group investigating gravity waves in the Arctic Ocean and the eruption of a volcano.French LHA Dixmude with snow in a Norwegia
As the Arctic once again attracts military and economic interest, Nunavut reminds Ottawa and the world of a fundamental truth: Canadian sovereignty in the North cannot exist without the Inuit. Gathered in Iqaluit, political leaders, elders, and youth defended a vision rooted in security, culture, an
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at ancient permafrost thawing, a change in airline ownership, and the conclusion of Antarctic Treaty meetings without any major declarations.Svalbard airport overview, Image: Fasttailwind
The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at an Alaskan senator facing warming state and icy situation in Washington, at the 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, and the impact of leopard seals’ diet. Governmental and non-
The Norwegian Sámi Parliament urges greater inclusion in defense planning, citing poor coordination and risks to their culture amid rising military activity. They call for dialogue with authorities, protection of Sámi resources, and representation in NATO planning. Martin Rimpi, senior advisor at Ár
