How Is Russia Developing the Northern Sea Route?
Author: Ali Askari, Analyst (Germany), especially for Sangar
Russia regards compliance by other countries with international law and national legislation in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a matter of its national security.
According to Federal Law No. 155 of July 31, 1998, “On Internal Sea Waters, the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of the Russian Federation,” the NSR is defined as a historically established national transportation corridor of Russia. It runs along Russia’s northern coastline through the seas of the Arctic Ocean (Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi Seas), as well as partially through the Pacific Ocean (the Bering Sea).
The route stretches approximately 5,600 km in a straight line from the Kara Gate (in the west) to the Bering Strait (in the east). In practice, however, its length may vary from 4,800 to 6,000 km depending on the chosen route, ice conditions, and navigational factors. The distance from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok via the NSR exceeds 14,000 km (compared to more than 23,000 km via the Suez Canal).
The operator of the NSR is the state corporation Rosatom, which is developing the necessary infrastructure for companies transporting goods along the Arctic route. In 2022, Rosatom established a unified navigation management center for the NSR waters.
This made it possible to implement a “single-window” system for issuing and suspending navigation permits for vessels, as well as coordinating hydrographic work areas. In addition, route planning and navigational guidance for ships have been centralized, along with the collection and integration of hydrometeorological and ice condition data.
At the same time, Russia emphasizes the importance of adhering to international agreements, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (which entered into force in 1994), the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (April 18, 1961), and other key legal instruments. This reflects Russia’s position that any military actions or defense enhancements should be accompanied by consultations with neighboring countries and international organizations.
At the same time, the Russian Federation is prepared to respond firmly to any attempts by Western countries to block the transportation of Russian hydrocarbons in the region.
All of this suggests that, in the emerging global order, the Northern Sea Route could become the most important and cost-effective transport artery for the movement of energy, raw materials, goods, and other resources essential to the global economy—particularly industry—between East and West. This, in turn, could mark one of the most significant transformations in human history.
