Russia trains coastal attack scenario 30 km from border with Norway
Bombardment from fighter aircraft to assist ground troops, artillery, grenades dropped by drones, and storm troopers. Russia’s high north war games scenario was played out to its full extent a short distance from Norway’s eastern border.
The battle of the Barents Sea has proven to be a core strategic part of the ongoing large-scale war exercise Zapad-2025 (West-2025). Simulated battles are taking place from the Franz Josef Land in the Arctic to the coast of the Kola Peninsula on the southern shores of the sea that Russia shares with Norway.
The Defence Ministry on Monday published a video showing how the war games have played out on the Sredny Peninsula over the last few days. Sredny is 30 kilometers from the border and is visible on the horizon from Norway’s northernmost military watchtower in Grense Jakobselv.
Across the fjord is the town of Vardø, from where Norway operates a set of radars that serve as NATO’s eyes directed toward Russian military air-and-space related weapon systems in the North.
The video shows how coastal troops are fighting back an “enemy” landing on the shores. In action are armoured vehicles, infantry soldiers, drone operators, a helicopter, and even a pair of Su-33 fighter jets dropping gravity bombs against targets along the shore.
This area on the western side of the Sredny Peninsula is a well-known training ground for the Northern Fleet’s marines. In recent years, it has also been used to launch land-to-surface missiles like the Bal (which NATO calls SSC-6 or Sennight).
For Russia, establishing Anti-Access/Area Denial of the Barents Sea bastion is important in a scenario where the ballistic missile submarines sailing out of the Kola Peninsula are deployed for war. This war scenario includes control of all the waters and air space east of the so-called Bear Gap, the line where the shallow Barents Sea meets the deeper Norwegian Sea, from North Cape via the Bear Island to Spitsbergen in the high Arctic.
A long article in the Northern Fleet’s newspaper Na Strazhe Zapolyarya on September 15 details how the war games play out in the Barents Sea.
Cruise missiles have been launched, first from both coastal based vehicle systems at Franz Josef Land, later from warships, the newspaper reported.
Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft provided enemy target designations to the Admiral Golovko, the newest of the Northern Fleet’s three new frigates. The warship then launched a Tsirkon hypersonic missile against the target.
A Kalibr cruise missile was launched from the multi-purpose submarine Arkhangelsk, according to a video posted on Telegram by the Ministry. Judging from the video, the submarine sailed close to land east of the Kola Bay at the time of launch.
As part of the same exercise, aviation forces consisting of several MiG-31 with Kinzhal missiles and a few Tu-22M bombers made flights over the Barents Sea during the weekend and on Monday.
In addition, a strategic Tu-160 bomber have been on a four-hour mission in international air space over the Barents Sea, practicing simulated cruise missile launches, the Defence Ministry reported on Tuesday. No information was provided on what targets this simulated attack was directed at.
Anti-Access/Area Denial of the Barents Sea bastion is important in a scenario where submarines armed with ballistic missiles are sailing out of the Kola Peninsula, deployed for war.
When they were announced, the September 12 to 16 Zapad-2025 joint strategic exercises of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia were said to take place in the territory of Belarus.
However, the additional on-going show of power in the Barents Sea area is a strong Russian signal about the importance of the country’s nuclear weapons in a possible escalating conflict with Europe and NATO.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canadians in North see U.S. as Arctic threat on par with Russia: survey, Eye on the Arctic
Denmark: Denmark flexes in Arctic with Greenland drills, signaling ongoing security push, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Growing military presence burdens Sámi livelihood: report, The Independent Barents Observer
Iceland: Europe’s Von der Leyen strengthens Arctic security ties with Iceland during visit, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Norway’s Arctic policy and a kaleidoscope election, Blog by Marc Lanteigne
Russia: Cargo ship involved in weapons deliveries from North Korea makes port call in Arkhangelsk,The Associated Press
Sweden: Europe and the US stand united ahead of Alaska meeting: Swedish PM, Radio Sweden
United States: U.S. Coast Guard monitors Chinese ships in Arctic waters…again, Eye on the Arctic
