Could Russia hit northern Europe if it gained control of Arctic’s Bear Gap?

Key Takeaways

• Norwegian defence minister warns Russia could pose a grave risk and must not be allowed to control the corridor.
• A strategically important stretch of Arctic Ocean, known as the Bear Gap, has become the latest focus of concerns about Russia’s military ambitions in the far north.
• In an interview with UK’s Times newspaper on Monday, Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik warned that Moscow must not be allowed to gain control of the corridor, arguing that it would give Russia a dangerous capacity to deploy submarines and weapons.
• “We see what kind of weapon systems Russia is developing, and we know that if they can control the Bear Gap, they can also use hypersonic missiles against NATO … against London, against Norway, against Denmark,” he said.
• “They are developing weapon systems, which tells us that we cannot let them control the Bear Gap.” The warning comes as the Arctic rapidly becomes one of the world’s most contested regions.