Exposing the myths of Russia’s Northern Sea Route

By Mary McAuliffe September 23, 2025
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Cleanup operations close to Norway's Yttre Hvaler marine national park where the Icelandic container ship Godafoss ran aground on the Southern Norwegian coast. Activists warn Russia's Northern Sea Route poses a number of risks to the Arctic's delicate ecosystems and threatens to accelerate climate change
Cleanup operations close to Norway’s Yttre Hvaler marine national park where the Icelandic container ship Godafoss ran aground on the Southern Norwegian coast on February 17th. Photo: Jon Terje Hellgren Hansen / Greenpeace

Russia promotes the Northern Sea Route as a quicker, cheaper and environmentally-friendly alternative to existing global shipping lanes. A new report reveals a far darker reality. Melting ice, harsher weather, shadow fleet tankers, and inadequate rescue infrastructure make this Arctic corridor far riskier and more polluting than Russia would like the world to believe.

These findings were unveiled at a seminar hosted by Bellona, an international environmental working group. They show the true costs of Russia’s Arctic shipping ambitions.

The experts behind the report unpack the environmental, economic, and geopolitical stakes of Arctic shipping, detailing how sanctions have slowed Russia’s megaprojects but failed to curb the rise of poorly regulated oil and gas transport.

They also explain why Europe and other countries still have leverage to shape the future of Arctic trade, urging the global community not to turn a blind eye to Russian actions in the increasingly important Arctic region. Watch the full video to explore Bellona’s findings and see why the Northern Sea Route narrative deserves closer scrutiny.