Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the European problems department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said NATO is preparing offensive operations in the Arctic.
Speaking to news outlet Izvestia, Maslennikov stated that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is continuing a course toward militarizing the region. He recalled that the alliance launched its Arctic Sentinel mission in February 2026 under the pretext of a Russian threat to deter Moscow and expand its military presence.
Maslennikov noted that coalition training exercises practicing cold-climate offensive scenarios have now been brought under the umbrella of the Arctic Sentinel mission.
Norway and Arctic military presence
Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Oslo Nikolai Korchunov said Norway is pursuing a path of escalation in the Arctic because mechanisms with Russia to prevent incidents are no longer working at full capacity.
Korchunov said Norwegian authorities are not interested in dialogue with Moscow on Arctic issues and are only attempting to build up NATO forces in the region.
