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Russia May Launch Arctic Ground Operation to Defend Nuclear Assets, Norway’s Defense Chief Warns
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Norway cannot rule out the possibility of a future Russian land operation aimed at safeguarding Moscow’s nuclear assets in the Arctic, the country’s top military commander has said in an interview with The Guardian on February 10, warning that developments in the High North remain a key strategic concern.
Gen Eirik Kristoffersen, Norway’s chief of defense, said Oslo does not dismiss the risk of a Russian move designed to secure its nuclear deterrent infrastructure on the Kola Peninsula, which lies close to Norway’s border.
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“We don’t exclude a land grab from Russia as part of their plan to protect their own nuclear capabilities, which is the only thing they have left that actually threatens the United States,” Kristoffersen said.
He acknowledged that Russia does not appear to have territorial ambitions in Norway comparable to those seen in Ukraine or other former Soviet states. However, he noted that much of Russia’s nuclear arsenal is concentrated on the Kola Peninsula, including nuclear submarines, land-based missile systems and nuclear-capable aircraft. These assets would be central in the event of a broader confrontation between Russia and NATO.
“We don’t take that off the table, because it’s still an option for Russia to do that in order to make sure that their nuclear capabilities, their second strike capabilities, are protected. That’s sort of the scenario in the high north that we plan for,” he said.
Addressing claims by US President Donald Trump that China and Russia have military designs on Greenland, Kristoffersen described the suggestion as “very strange.”
“We have a very good overview of what is happening in the Arctic from our intelligence service and we don’t see anything like that in Greenland … we see Russian activity with their submarines and also their underwater programme in the traditional part of the Arctic … but it’s not about Greenland, it’s about reaching the Atlantic,” he said.
Reflecting on Russia’s war in Ukraine, Kristoffersen argued that military occupation carries long-term costs.
“If Russia is learning something from the war in Ukraine, I think it’s that it’s never a good idea to occupy a country. If the people don’t want it, it’s going to cost you a lot of money and a lot of effort and in the end you will actually lose. To occupy in the first place is often very easy, but to keep the occupation going is very, very hard. And I think all expansionist powers have experienced that,” Kristoffersen added.
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Separately, Estonia’s foreign intelligence service warned that Europe must significantly strengthen its defense and internal security to deter Moscow from testing NATO’s resolve, as Russia accelerates efforts to rebuild its armed forces while European rearmament gathers pace.
The warning came from Estonia, a NATO member bordering Russia and one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken critics, which has consistently backed Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“(Europe) must invest in defense and internal security, so that...in the future Russia would conclude it has no chance against NATO countries,” said Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia’s foreign intelligence service, speaking to reporters.
Earlier, a report unveiled at the Munich Security Conference Russia could be preparing conditions for a potential future military clash with the Baltic states or another neighboring country.
The analysis contends that Europe can no longer depend on the traditional US security umbrella that has underpinned the continent’s defense architecture for decades.
