Monitoring and Intelligence: What Are Russia’s Plans for the Arctic?

In 2020, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia approved a new strategy for the development of the Arctic zone and for ensuring national security until 2035. According to official statements, there is a strong emphasis on improving the quality of life, developing education, and modernizing healthcare facilities. However, one of the key areas receiving the most attention, though mentioned the least, is the military.

Previously, UNITED24 Media reported that Russia possesses the largest icebreaker fleet, is preparing military infrastructure in the region, and is developing weapons adapted for warfare in harsh Arctic conditions.

Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has shown that warfare is evolving. As a result, technologies are evolving too. According to UNITED24 Media sources, in the past two years, Russia has invested in scientific research and the development of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and robotic systems capable of operating in extreme weather, particularly in the Arctic. Another crucial area is communications: several scientific institutes are working on organizing autonomous communication systems in the region for both land and sea use.

UAVs

One of the strategic directions outlined in the region’s development strategy is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Work in this area is focused on three key avenues:

1. Developing UAVs and drones capable of operating in extremely low temperatures.

2. Scaling up drone production.

3. Education: increasing the number of specialists in this field.

The official justification is that drones are needed for observation and monitoring. In reality, according to UNITED24 Media sources in HUR, Russia is trying to scale up the production of combat drones, create specialized UAVs for reconnaissance in the region, and train pilots to operate these weapons.

Russia already has several in-house drone models used for reconnaissance in Ukraine, and offensive drones like the Lancet. It also produces Iranian Shahed drones under license, used to bomb Ukrainian cities. Since acquiring the technology, Russia has significantly improved this drone type; updated versions appear every 6–12 months, along with shifts in their tactical use.

In the Arctic, drones are primarily needed for reconnaissance and tracking European and Asian vessels, as well as monitoring countries within the region’s sphere of influence. Additionally, combat drones could be used for territorial incursions—for example, targeting Svalbard or Norwegian port cities. The actions of the Houthis in the Red Sea have shown how dangerous relatively cheap drones can be for even the most advanced militaries: a $50,000 drone may need to be shot down with million-dollar missiles.

Russia is also developing systems to counter enemy drones. While Russian officials do not explicitly state who they are preparing to fight in the Arctic, the list of countries present there is limited and obvious.

Underwater monitoring systems

Another direction Russia is actively pursuing in the region in recent years is unmanned underwater surveillance systems. The Russian company Okeanos is developing such technologies. The stated mission is the "detection and inspection of potentially dangerous objects, including monitoring underwater structures and communications, and potentially hazardous underwater sites." This is supposedly to prevent emergencies.

In reality, these systems are designed for reconnaissance, tracking other countries’ underwater assets, and interfering with communication systems. One of Okeanos’s systems can autonomously operate underwater for up to four months and dive to depths of up to 1,000 meters. For reference, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 1,200 meters. The company itself does not hide that its robotic systems are dual-use, and due to their strategic importance, their export is banned.

Communications

Many projects developed by research institutes for the Arctic region focus on autonomous communication systems that can function in difficult conditions. One major challenge is that Russia’s northern border stretches for 14,000 miles (22,000 kilometers).

Due to this vast length, many areas either lack connectivity or have outdated, low-speed systems. The near-term goal is ambitious: to equip the region with high-speed communications, including alternatives to the American Starlink system.

Of the 18 major projects being developed in the region and presented as civilian, 25% relate to communications in various forms, ranging from radar station development to satellite internet and infrastructure for communications. Russia has never invested so heavily in Arctic communications before. Everything changed with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the realization that the paradigm of war had shifted.

At one meeting involving drone companies, representatives from the banking sector were also present. They spoke only once, but their message was clear: funding for the military can be quickly secured—what matters most is having a product ready for production.

To reduce dependence on Western components, one key area of focus is import substitution, which is a priority for manufacturers in 2025.

It’s also telling that many of these projects focus on another key factor drawing Russia to the region—resources. The country is already preparing to compete for them by developing monitoring and extraction systems, and even launching new icebreaker projects to avoid having to wait for the ice to melt.