The Arctic Debrief: German naval exercise in Arctic region attracts Russian spy ships
The Arctic Debrief is a weekly newsletter covering the most important developments in the Arctic region of the past week.
In this edition:
- German naval exercise in Arctic region attracts Russian spy ships;
- Burevestnik cruise missile launched from Russian Arctic, says Norway; and
- Norway to host Joint Expeditionary Force defence ministers meeting
Latest Developments
German naval exercise in Arctic region attracts Russian spy ships
The German Navy is conducting its largest naval exercise in decades and it is taking place in the Arctic region from Oct. 13 to Oct. 24. The training focuses on live fire exercises conducted by ten German vessels, with additional support from the German air force, army, and international units.
F219 Sachsen is leading the German fleet which consists of frigates, corvettes, supply ships, and a single submarine. The German Navy reported that the live fire exercise will see the firing of missiles, artillery guns, and torpedoes.
The training is taking place at the Andøya firing range in northern Norway. The range allows NATO ships to freely test weapons and simulate warfare scenarios. Germany claims that this was the largest naval exercise conducted by its Navy in several decades.
Although traffic through the designated training area was suspended, ships associated with the Russian government were seen sailing near the exercise.
The Akademik Boris Petrov, a research vessel that is known to be conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering work for the Russian military, was spotted north of the Andøya firing range for two days, traveling in a zig-zag pattern instead of sailing towards a set destination. The ship is equipped with dual-use technology, meaning it has equipment that could be used for scientific research, but can also collect data that could be used by the Russian military.
The SMP Arkhangelsk, a large Russian cargo vessel which has been sanctioned by the U.S. and Ukraine due to illegal shipping of grains out of occupied territories and delivering weapons, was also spotted zig-zagging near the exercise.
Burevestnik cruise missile launched from Russian Arctic, says Norway
While thethe launch site of the Burevestnik cruise missile was not disclosed, Norwegian intelligence services reported that the launch must have taken place from Russia's increasingly militarized archipelago Novaya Zemlya. The launch took place on Oct. 21, 2025.
The long-range nuclear-powered cruise missile–which is capable of carrying a nuclear payload–is allegedly capable of travelling indefinitely. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that the missile flew over 14,000 km during a 15 hour flight.
The Burevestnik was initially revealed by Russia in 2018 as a new generation strategic weapon that the country was developing. The missile is similar to a U.S. project that was cancelled in 1957 after it was determined there was no practical need for a nuclear powered rocket and that ICBMs proved more effective. However, the advantage of such a rocket is the ability to come from an unexpected direction and its ability to remain airborne for a significant amount of time.
The Russian government has been steadily militarizing its territory in the Arctic region. In addition to revitalizing Soviet era Arctic bases, Russia has been building new bases, alert stations, and air strips across the North.
Major concerns over the militarization of the Arctic originate from the fact that travel time between Russia and North America is significantly reduced by going over the Arctic. Additionally, it is very difficult to detect planes and missiles due to the geography and weather conditions.
Norway to host Joint Expeditionary Force defence ministers meeting
Defence Ministers from member countries apart of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) will meet in Bødo, Norway. The JEF is a British-led initiative launched in 2014 which brings together ten European countries with a shared focus on strengthening security in the Arctic, Northern Europe, and the Baltic states.
The members that are a part of the Joint Expeditionary Force are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The goal of the JEF is to create a rapid response defence force that would be able to quickly deployed to any of the member nations. The group is not intended as a replacement to NATO, but a complimentary initiative.
The meetings will focus on the "security policy developments in the region, the need to enhance operational cooperation among participating nations, and how we together can further develop our collective preparedness," reads a press release from the Norwegian government.
The Joint Expeditionary Force just held its largest training exercise Tarassis, which saw the militaries of all member states conduct operations in the Arctic, Baltics, and Northern Europe. Specifically, operation Arctic Tide focused on warfare in the High North. The exercise included beach landings with all-terrain vehicles, stimulating special forces missions behind enemy lines, and securing and protecting high value targets and locations.
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