Moscow Perturbed by Militarisation of Svalbard Archipelago Following Norwegian Warship Visit

The historic 1920 Svalbard Treaty, which recognises Norway's sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago, defines it as demilitarised and fit for purely peaceful use.

Moscow is seriously concerned about the recent visit of a Norwegian warship to Svalbard, and perceives it as another step by Oslo toward the of militarisation of the polar archipelago, Russia's Foreign Ministry has said in a statement.

In late October, the frigate "Thor Heyerdahl" was reported to have made a port call at Longyearbyen in what the local newspaper Svalbardposten described as a "rare sight" and "peaceful visit".

"It is important to be able to train in demanding conditions and for us to be able to defend Norwegian sovereignty on Svalbard. We have not only a right, but also a duty to safeguard sovereignty in the territorial waters of [the islands of] Spitsbergen, Hopen, and Bjørnøya", KNM "Thor Heyerdahl" Commander Frode Røte told Svalbardposten.

#RNoN destroyer HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl makes port call in #Longyearbyen Spitsbergen Island #Svalbard. The Svalbard Treaty does not put a ban on #Norway military presence at Svalbard, but limits the use of the archipelago for possible war purposes. pic.twitter.com/hFhnxpDct6

— Mr. Lynx Consulting (@fiv_consulting) October 25, 2021

However, the warship's visit to the demilitarised archipelago made the Russian Foreign Ministry see red.

"The port call to the archipelago by a Norwegian warship is Oslo's next step in a series of successive actions to include this territory into its sphere of national military development", the Russian Foreign Ministry said, suggesting that this "demonstration of military force" raised serious concern.

Furthermore, the ministry stressed that the visit violates the spirit of the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, which defines the purely peaceful use of the archipelago, and also contradicts Oslo's declared goal of maintaining low tension in high latitudes.

The Foreign Ministry also emphasised a trend toward the "hidden militarisation" of the archipelago by Norway via patrols by Coast Guard ships, the use of the SVALSAT satellite tracking station, which is technically equipped to perform dual-use tasks, as well as the practice of Norwegian military transport aircraft using Longyearbyen Airport.

The Russian Foreign Ministry additionally underscored the extension of the Norwegian Law on Ports and Fairways to Svalbard, which implies the use of the archipelago's infrastructure in military planning, including the reception of reinforcements from the nation's NATO allies.

The ministry also cited a recent legislative initiative by the Norwegian authorities to restrict access to information about the seabed in the Svalbard region, while providing exceptions for the Norwegian military and their NATO partners.

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean located about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. First used as a base by whalers, and subsequently for coal mining, it is now mostly used for polar exploration and climate research. With a population of under 3,000, Svalbard is a free economic zone and a demilitarised area. Colloquially, it is mainly referred to as a place where there are more polar bears than humans and as home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a long-term seed storage facility built to stand the test of time and preserve the world's largest collection of crop diversity.