The Big Drill in the Russian Arctic Is Over

On 10-16 September, a large-scale military exercise was held by the Northern Fleet (Russian Navy) in the Russian Arctic. The drills were synchronized with the Zapad 2021 exercise staged by the Russian and Belorussian armed forces and involved about 8,000 servicemen along with 50 battleships and support vessels and about 800 vehicles such as tanks, APCs and self-propelled artillery. Under the drill scenario, Russia’s naval, ground and airborne units supported by military aircraft repelled an imaginary attack on the Kola Peninsula coming from the western direction.

The exercise has raised concerns in the West. According to Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen, “…many of those exercises are something Russia can do closer to home.” In turn, the Western media focused on the challenges faced by Norwegian fishermen who had to keep away from fishing grounds in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea as per the Notice to Mariners issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense in view of the war games. Moreover, the very fact of holding the exercise is positioned as yet another proof of Russia’s alleged effort to “militarize” the Arctic.

In this context, it should be noted that next year, Norway will host Cold Response, the biggest military drill inside the Arctic Circle since the Cold War. Some 40,000 troops -- five times more than the one recently held by the Northern Fleet -- will take part in the exercise. Unlike Russian forces who operate on their turf, Cold Response will involve troops coming to Norway’s Ofoten from thousands of miles away, including from non-Arctic nations. However, the Russian political leadership does not intend to overdramatize this fact, being more interested in promoting relations of cooperation rather than a confrontation-based approach in the High North.