How Russia Is Preparing for War in the Arctic

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced an Arctic version of the Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system (MRLS) to be launched this year, 2025. This is just one of several weapon systems recently adapted for Arctic conditions to be integrated into their growing military fleet in the region. 

The Arctic was once a politically neutral area of the world, described as “High North, low tension,” a region of peace and cooperation. This is no longer the case; now, it’s a growing military front for Russia, a network of Russian Arctic-adapted weapon systems, nuclear submarines, missile facilities, airfields, radar stations, and troops.

In 2024, Vladimir Putin ordered the region's largest military exercise in history—Ocean-2024—involving 400 warships, submarines, and support vessels, as well as 120 planes and helicopters. 

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Arctic War: How Russia Is Turning a Peaceful Region Into a Military Base

Mar 05, 2025 18:44

Russian media, the Moscow Times, reported that “since at least 2011, the Russian Defense Ministry has worked at a breakneck pace to reopen old defensive installations on the Arctic frontier and reassert its armed presence there.”

NATO  Military Committee Chair, Admiral Rob Bauer, expressed concerns about Russia's continued military build-up in the Arctic, at the October 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly. 

Arctic military combat between NATO forces and Russia was once deemed unlikely, but since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it is “now dangerously feasible,” the Simons Foundation Canada  (SFC) reported in February 2025. 

Analysts routinely warn Canada to “urgently beef up Arctic defenses” to protect Canadian sovereignty against Russian “expansionist ambitions,” SFC reported. 

Why is Russia building a military presence in the Arctic?

More than half the Arctic's coastline is Russian territory, stretching a massive 14,000 miles (24,000 km). 

“Russia’s war on Ukraine has global implications, including in the Arctic, where Russia has even used its military facilities on the Kola Peninsula  to attack Ukraine”, Admiral Bauer said. Russia’s largest force is stationed on the Kola Peninsula which shares a border with Norway and Finland.

The Arctic is rich in resources, climate change has opened new shipping routes through the ice facilitating access to natural resources such as oil, gas, and precious minerals. The new routes also pose a military challenge of strategic importance for NATO, as Russia can use its Pacific fleet in its area of operations much easier and faster than before, Admiral Bauer said.

Adaptation of Russian weapons for the Arctic

The DT-30 Vityaz is a multi-purpose two-link tracked all-terrain vehicle developed in the Soviet Union for transporting heavy loads in difficult climatic conditions such as Siberia, the Arctic, and Antarctic. It’s designed to work on low-strength soils such as mud and snow in extreme weather conditions from minus 50 to plus 40°C.

For amphibious models, the letter P is added to its name, and the letter M stands for ‘modernised’. The DT-30PM Vityaz already operates in the Arctic carrying the Tor-M2DT and Pantsir-SM anti-aircraft launchers, and Russia’s latest addition for the DT-30PM is the Tornado-G MRLS.

‘JSC Machine Building Company “Vityaz”’(or JSC Vityaz) is a Russian patent producer of DT-30 Vityaz, providing and manufacturing the two-link tracked all-terrain military vehicle for the Russian Armed Forces, which are used in the war of aggression against Ukraine. 

Vityaz was placed on the EU sanctions list for its efforts in manufacturing military vehicles for the Russian Federation. On 23 February 2023, Vityaz was placed on Canada's sanctions for a serious violation of international peace and security. On 19 May 2023, the plant was included in the US trade sanctions list and the US placed it under blocking sanctions on 20 July 2023. Vityaz has also been sanctioned in Ukraine, Switzerland and Australia.

Though the plant has been placed under heavy sanctions, it continues to produce the DT-30PM Vityaz, key to Russia’s modernisation of weapons ready for use in the Arctic.

What is the Arctic Tornado-G MRLS?

Russia’s latest Arctic addition is the 122-mm Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), a modernized version of the BM-21 Grad. The Tornado-G has already been used by Russia against Ukraine, its latest modernised version will be installed on the DT-30PM Vityaz making it specifically suitable to work in Arctic conditions. 

The Tornado-G has cluster shells with a detachable warhead and self-aiming cumulative warheads. It can automatically receive and transmit information via secure communication channels, autonomously perform topographic communication, navigation, and orientation of a combat vehicle by displaying it on an electronic map. Its launchers are automated, meaning that the small crew of three don’t need to leave the cockpit to drive the launcher. 

What is the Pantsir-SA?

The Pantsir-SA is a modernized version of the Panstir-S1 weapon system, one widely used by Russia in their war against Ukraine. Like the Tornado-G, it is integrated onto the DT-30PM for Arctic capabilities. The Panstir-S1 (NATO codename SA-22 Greyhound) is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile (SPAAGM) system.

It has a 20 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, is capable of detecting and tracking with its solid-state search radar, and engaging with up to four aerial targets such as helicopters, planes, cruise missiles, and drones simultaneously.

The Pantsir-S1 is designed to protect against shrapnel and light firearms, it is vulnerable to cumulative munitions carried by FPV drones. In January 2025, the Ukrainian Navy struck a Pantsir-S1 in the Kherson region. During the attack, the Pantsir-S1 system did not react to the approaching Ukrainian drones, raising questions about the system’s effectiveness against small, low-profile UAVs like quadcopters.

What is the TOR-M2DT?

The TOR-M2DT is a short-range air defense missile system using the TOR-M2 missile launcher station, again, integrated onto the Vityaz DT-30PM chassis system for the Arctic.

The TOR-M2DT can fire several types of surface to air missiles and has a modern tracking radar with a range of 25-30km, rotating at 360 degrees. Russian media claims that it can identify up to 40 aerial targets simultaneously and engage with up to 4 targets at the same time.

The weapon was first revealed in 2017 at the Russian Victory Day parade, and in November 2018, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it deployed the first 12 Tor-M2DT surface-to-air missile systems to the Arctic region, according to reports. 

The TOR-M2DT is reportedly being used by Russian Forces in Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces have conducted several successful strikes against them. At least 6 TOR-M2DT units have reportedly been confirmed lost during the ongoing war.

The Magnolia 120mm

The launch of the self-propelled artillery system 120-mm ‘Magnolia’, was announced in 2022 by the Russian Federation, which is also based on the chassis of the DT-30PM Arctic tracked two-link tractor. It’s not yet been recorded as used in Ukraine, but in January 2025, it was reported as involved in an accident in the city of Perm.

How is the West countering increasing Russian militarisation in the Arctic?

Currently, we have not identified any chassis and control systems for Arctic conditions among Western partners' weapons and equipment, similar to the ones that Vityaz and the Russian Federation are producing for their Arctic fleet. 

However, NATO members at the 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly identified key areas in which they are working to counter Russia’s aggression in the Arctic. 

Arctic Allies are strengthening their cooperation to enhance their presence and capabilities in the High North. Canada and Nordic countries plan to create a new Arctic Security Dialogue, to coordinate on defence, intelligence, and cyber threats. The US, Canada, and Finland announced their intent to build new polar icebreakers through the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort agreement or ICE-PAC,T which could result in 90 new ships being produced. 

Admiral Rob Bauer noted that though there are positive developments, they need to do more.