ARCTIC: Christmas Day Sabotage & more – 31st Dec 2024

Góðan daginn from BA! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 31st of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

As Christmas was celebrated across the Arctic, Finland received an unwelcome gift. On Wednesday the 25th, five of Finland’s undersea cables providing the country with electricity and data were cut, in the latest act of suspected infrastructure sabotage against Finland this year. On Thursday the 26th, Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker under suspicion that it was involved in cutting vital undersea cables.

At a press conference, the police said the ship might have been part of Russia’s shadow fleet, aimed at evading Western sanctions. Finland’s Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, added that while there is no evidence connecting Russia to the seized tanker, Russia’s recent history of sabotage against Finland and other Nordic countries, puts it as the prime suspect.

Russia’s ambitions for Arctic energy dominance are advancing with the launch of its first domestically built gas carrier. Reported by shipping news agency gCaptain, the Ice-capable gas carrier, Aleksey Kosygin, launched from Vladivostok for sea trials on Wednesday the 25th. The vessel will serve Russia’s Arctic LNG2 project, which had planned a fleet of over twenty gas carriers to collect and sell gas worldwide. International sanctions have delayed ship construction but Russia can finally celebrate its first gas carrier capable of traversing the Arctic Ocean year round.

That wasn’t the only new Russian ship to launch this week. On Saturday the 28th, the official flag raising ceremony for Russia’s newest nuclear powered icebreaker was held in St Petersburg. The vessel, the Yakutia, increases the size of Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet to eight ships, the largest in history. Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, spoke at the ceremony, declaring the importance of icebreakers for solidifying Russia’s status as a global naval power.

Joining in on the icebreaker launchings is China. The Chinese State news agency Xinhua announced on Thursday the 26th that the country has launched its first icebreaker ship capable of scientific and archaeological research in the far north, and even to the Arctic sea floor. This will allow China to be only the second country after Russia to send researchers to the deep polar seabeds for scientific exploration. The launching of the Tan Suo San Hao is a boost to China’s ambitions to expand its footprint and influence in the polar regions with shipping and research. In twenty twenty-one, China’s government vowed the country will become a great polar power. Just three years later, that aim is already coming true.

Dominance over the Arctic is causing tensions over sovereignty to rise as Denmark moves to boost defense spending in Greenland following last week's calls from incoming US President Donald Trump to purchase Greenland. The Danish Defence Ministry announced on Monday the 23rd that Denmark plans 1.5 billion US dollars of military investments in Greenland to assert its sovereignty and counter foreign interest in the resource-rich Arctic. The Ministry says the money will be used to improve Greenland’s Arctic combat capabilities, with dog sled teams and long range drones on the shopping list.

Iceland and the US are combining to create innovative solutions to military difficulties in the far north. According to the Icelandic Defense Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday the 26th, the US military is financing an almost $100 million US dollar project to build an airport in a box in south Iceland. The fully modular airport is a prefabricated facility designed for rapid deployment to remote locations, crucial for reacting quickly to emergency situations in the Arctic. If successful, this first of its kind construction could change the face of the military landscape in the north.

Another new project coming to life in the Arctic is in Alaska’s oil industry. Reported by the Anchorage Daily News on Tuesday the 26th, Alaska's Nuna oil project has officially started production. The project, owned by ConocoPhillips, is located near the Colville River in Alaska’s North Slope. Estimates suggest Nuna will yield 20,000 barrels of oil per day, bolstering Alaska’s oil revenues as other fields experience declines.

ConocoPhillips have planned a further almost thirty oil wells at the Nuna oil project in the coming years, making this the first part of a massive new drill site on Alaska’s north coast.

Amid growing oil development in Alaska, efforts to curb environmental damage are underway. On Tuesday the 24th, the Alaska Beacon reported that the US Bureau of Land Management partnered with several Iñupiat groups, the Nuiqsut city and tribal governments, and the Kuukpik Corporation to protect the Teshekpuk Lake region, the largest lake on Alaska’s North Slope. This 1-million-acre protected area, about 4,000 square kilometers, vital for caribou and migratory birds, bans leasing, roads, and exploration activities.

By placing the habitat under Indigenous management, the initiative aims to balance resource extraction with environmental stability in this rapidly changing Arctic landscape.

The warming Arctic Ocean is leading to a growing presence of orcas in the eastern Canadian Arctic, which is raising alarms for ecosystems and communities. The Canadian Press reported on Thursday the 26th that the University of Manitoba has discovered orca sightings in northern waters have surged due to warming oceans and retreating sea ice.

Once a rare sight, these predators now hunt Arctic marine mammals like narwhals and bowhead whales, disrupting delicate ecosystems. Researchers warn this shift could also impact Indigenous hunting practices that rely on traditional prey species. The orca migration highlights how climate change is reshaping Arctic marine life, posing challenges for both wildlife conservation and human livelihoods in the region.

There are many whales living in both the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, but the assumption that all cold water whales live similar lives isn’t true. In new research published on Thursday the 26th by a multinational science team in the journal of Science Advances, scientists found Antarctic right whales live up to 150 years, twice previous estimates, while their Arctic counterparts average only twenty years.

Scientists attribute this stark difference to human activity. Arctic waters are far busier, with shipping, oil exploration, and fishing posing constant risks, whereas the Antarctic remains relatively untouched. This study underscores that while climate change threatens Arctic ecosystems, human presence remains the most immediate danger to its marine life.

Moving over to Canada where the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in the Yukon has secured about 17 million US dollars for a new heritage complex, aimed at preserving and sharing its cultural legacy. The funding was announced on Monday the 23rd as part of an effort to support the community's long-standing traditions and boost tourism in the region. The heritage complex will feature exhibits, educational programs, and spaces for cultural events, helping to connect both locals and visitors to the history and heritage of the Vuntut Gwitchin people. This development marks a significant step in promoting cultural revitalization and economic growth in the area.

The human history of the Arctic is one of exploration and adventure, and that period is far from over. On Friday the 27th, British explorer Preet Chandi unveiled her ambitious plan to become the first woman to travel solo and unsupported to the North Pole. Chandi, who made history in twenty twenty-two as the first woman of colour to reach the South Pole alone, is set to begin her perilous journey in March from Canada. Facing minus fifty-degree Celsius temperatures, almost minus sixty degrees Fahrenheit, open water crossings, and treacherous sea ice, Chandi aims to not only accomplish a groundbreaking feat but also inspire others, especially women, to challenge themselves and break barriers.

To explore the incredible exploits of Preet Chandi, take a look at the link in the show notes.

Finally this week, there’s good news for Arctic fox conservation in Norway. The Norwegian Environment Agency announced on Friday the 27th that twenty twenty-four has been a successful year, with over 300 Arctic fox cubs born. Nearly extinct in Scandinavia by twenty fifteen, the population has now rebounded to almost 600, thanks to coordinated conservation efforts by Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The agency predicts that if current trends continue, the species could be fully self-sustaining by twenty thirty-four, marking a major milestone for Arctic biodiversity and international wildlife conservation.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Before leaving we want to wish you a happy and exciting twenty twenty-five! Thank you for sticking with us, sharing the podcast, and being such an amazing part of our community. We’ll be here as long as you’re enjoying the episodes, so if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for how we can get better, don’t hesitate to reach out—shoot us an email at info@rorshok.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Bless bless