Could Russia hit northern Europe if it gained control of Arctic’s Bear Gap?

Norwegian defence minister warns Russia could pose a grave risk and must not be allowed to control the corridor.

A strategically important stretch of Arctic Ocean, known as the Bear Gap, has become the latest focus of concerns about Russia’s military ambitions in the far north.

In an interview with UK’s Times newspaper on Monday, Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik warned that Moscow must not be allowed to gain control of the corridor, arguing that it would give Russia a dangerous capacity to deploy submarines and weapons.

“We see what kind of weapon systems Russia is developing, and we know that if they can control the Bear Gap, they can also use hypersonic missiles against NATO … against London, against Norway, against Denmark,” he said.

“They are developing weapon systems, which tells us that we cannot let them control the Bear Gap.”

The warning comes as the Arctic rapidly becomes one of the world’s most contested regions. As melting ice opens up new shipping lanes, its vast oil and other natural resources, and the intensifying rivalry between Russia, NATO, China and the US are turning it into an increasingly important military and commercial theatre.

Six countries – Russia, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway and Iceland – surround the Arctic.

Russia has spent years rebuilding Arctic bases and strengthening its Northern Fleet, while NATO members have expanded their own military presence across the region.

The Bear Gap is a strategic naval chokepoint in the Arctic Ocean, spanning roughly 400 miles (650 km) between the North Cape of mainland Norway and Bear Island, the southernmost tip of Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.

The gap lies between the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, making it one of the key maritime routes through which Russian naval vessels and submarines can move from their Arctic bases into the North Atlantic.

Its location places it directly west of Russia’s Kola Peninsula, home to the bulk of Russia’s sea-based nuclear deterrent and the headquarters of its Northern Fleet.

Kristian Atland, a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), explained that the Bear Gap “serves as a key gateway for naval movements and maritime surveillance in the High North”.

“Russia views this maritime area as integral to its so‑called ‘Bastion Defence’ strategy,” Atland told Al Jazeera. “In order to ensure the safe operation of the Northern Fleet’s ballistic missile submarines in the inner part of the bastion, that is, in the Barents Sea, Russia wants to be able to control the Bear Island gap.”

The corr