Newsletter: Summer Has Passed

Last Friday, a new American submarine arrived at Grøtsund port just outside Tromsø, North Norway. This is the fifth Allied submarine docking at the port this year, and NATO's activity in the north does not go unnoticed by the Russian president.

Russia’s new maritime doctrine identifies U.S. and NATO maritime activities in the Arctic as major security threats, and Putin states that Russia will protect its Arctic waters firmly and by all means.

Russia's war in Ukraine has now lasted five months.

In line with the EU, Norway introduced a port ban against Russian vessels in April as part of the sanctions against the country. The ban does not apply to Russian fishing vessels, and now the Ukrainian authorities want the exception to be removed.

Despite sanctions, The Russian energy company Rosneft has started construction of what will be Russia's largest oil terminal at the Bukhta Sever port in Northern Siberia.

Climate and tourism

Norwegian research vessel Kronprins Haakon and French ice-capable cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot joined forces sailing to the North Pole, creating a unique collaboration between scientific research and emerging polar tourism.

While in Svalbard, a foreign tour operator was fined for violating a traffic ban in the Kongsfjorden nature reserve.

“We take the incident very seriously”, says the Governor's Police Attorney.

The editorial staff of High North News are happy to be back in action, and would like to hear from you. So tip us at hinn@nord.no and feel free to follow us on social media.

Wishing you all the best for the weekend,

Trine Jonassen

News Editor