Yamal LNG facilities in Sabetta. (Photo: Novatek)The Arctic is gaining increasing international importance due to its vast natural resources, especially natural gas. Russia plays a central role in this context, particularly through its liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. However, since 2022, Weste
Port Stanley – Falkland Islands (Photo: Marcel Schütz)The Falkland Islands are once again the focus of international political reporting. The trigger is statements from the circle around Donald Trump, which have been reported in various media outlets in connection with foreign policy issues of the U
From 2027, guides outside Svalbard’s settlements must hold official approval under a new certification system. Information event held in Svalbard Svalbard is set to introduce a new, formal guide certification system in the Arctic, marking a shift in how tourism and field safety are regulated in remo
Nobu Shirase wants to go to the South Pole! That was the joke of the year in 1909. The Japanese were rolling with laughter, and the press openly mocked him. Nobu Shirase was the third contender in the race to the South Pole. The first Japanese Antarctic expedition became the strangest exploratory jo
The Svalbard Treaty grants Norway sovereignty while ensuring equal access and peaceful use of the Arctic archipelago for all signatory nations. Signing of the Svalbard Treaty on 9 February 1920 by Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, head of the Norwegian negotiating team(Photo: Photographer unknown/Governor of S
The icebreaker “50 Years of Victory” is now used not only for industrial purposes but also for exclusive trips to the North Pole and, despite its age, remains one of the most powerful vessels of its kind. (Photo: Heiner Kubny)Russia, once a global leader in icebreaker construction, is facing a poten
The submarine “Karelia” appears state-of-the-art following its refurbishment.The return of the strategic nuclear submarine “Karelia” (K-18) to active service marks a new phase in the expansion of Russia’s nuclear naval forces in the Arctic. The modernized vessel, which holds particular symbolic sign
Camp Century was first carved into the ice using snow cutters; metal supports were then placed over it and covered again with snow. (Photo: Wikimedia)Camp Century looks like something out of a spy movie: a city beneath the ice, hidden in the Arctic. But behind its spectacular façade lay far more tha
New data from the Arctic Council shows a significant rise in vessel traffic, with nearly double the distance sailed by vessels since 2013. Ship in Arctic waters (Photo: Léa Zinsli)A recent report showed that shipping activity in the Arctic is reaching unprecedented levels, driven by longer ice-free
The Cape Town Agreement, entering into force in 2027, sets new safety standards for fishing vessels reducing risks and pollution in Arctic waters. Cargo vessel in calm northern watersThe Cape Town Agreement, the first worldwide treaty focused on the safety of fishing vessels, is set to enter into fo
A recent study examines how climate change affects the potential spread of radioactive substances from the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine ‘Komsomolets’. After a devastating fire on board, the nuclear submarine “Komsomolets” sank on April 7, 1989, southwest of Bear Island. (Photo: Institute of Marin
Dr. Fernando E. Franca with his wife Eva Quesada in Havana in 1955. (Photo: Eduardo Franca)Fernando E. Franca is considered an important figure in the history of international polar research. As the first Cuban to reach Antarctica and work there scientifically, he wrote a special chapter in the hist
Casey’s old rubbish tip. All rubbish tips at Australian research stations were abolished in 1985. (Photo: AAD / Gavin Johnstone)Can waste management practices in Antarctica provide a model of sustainability for extreme environments? Last week, we left off with the following question: Is the principl
Three of the new icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard are currently being built at Helsinki Shipyard in Finland. (Photo: Helsinki Shipyard)The American shipbuilder Davie Defense has received a contract from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the construction of five Arctic Security Cutters (AS
Russia issued two missile warnings in the Barents Sea north of Norway in recent weeks, including one during NATO’s Cold Response Arctic exercise. Map showing the area in the Barents Sea where Russia issued missile warnings (Screenshot from https://www.notammap.org) Russia has issued two warnings in
Old fuel drums near Beaver Lake. The lake was discovered in 1956 during an Australian expedition. In September 1957, Australian scientists set up a base camp here, using the lake as a landing strip for aeroplanes. (Photo: AAD / M. Woolridge)Can waste management practices in Antarctica provide a mode
On March 8th, the community in Longyearbyen gathered at the Svalbard Museum to celebrate International Women’s Day, with speeches, a discussion panel, and music from a local choir. Katrine Boel Gregussen giving her speech for the International Women’s Day On March 8th, Longyearbyen not only celebrat
Scientists located sunken vessels containing radioactive waste during an expedition with the research ship Akademik Ioffe in the Barents and Kara Seas. During the 70th expedition of the Akademik Ioffe, the precise locations of two wrecks containing radioactive waste in the Kara and Barents Seas were
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky, Ukrposhta issued a special stamp on 6 February 2026. A total of 15,000 first day covers were produced to mark the 30th anniversary of the Vernadsky Antarctic Station, honoring three decades of scientific research in
Arctic premiere of Trade Secret in LongyearbyenLast Friday, on International Polar Bear Day, Trade Secret had its Arctic premiere in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Two screenings drew over 400 viewers, almost 20 % of the town’s adult population, underscoring how closely the community is connected to the fa
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. Specialists studied the areas for three years using 2D and 3D seismic surveys before the new oil field was discovered. (Photo: Unsplash)In the Arctic zon
The Sirius Patrol has 100 sled dogs, mostly from its own breeding program. Since 1994, the Greenland Sled Dog Patrol has been administratively subordinate to the Naval High Command (SOK) of the Royal Danish Navy in Aarhus and operationally to the Arctic Command in Nuuk, West Greenland. (Photo: Rosam
A sense of security in the ice: a polar bear mother with her cubs on the pack ice of Svalbard. (Photo: Heiner Kubny)The five countries in which polar bears are native have agreed on a new international action plan to protect the species. Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway, and Denmark (Greenl
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Bild: Wikipedia)Three recent actions should cool speculation that the United States would significantly change its approach towards Antarctica. First, the U.S. Department of State released a press statement that reaffirmed its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty syst
