Putin is stockpiling nuclear weapons and submarines in the Arctic to attack NATO, Norway's Defense Ministry

The Minister of Defense of Norway noted that Russia's nuclear weapons are aimed not only at Norway, but also at Great Britain, as well as across the Pole at Canada and the USA. "We are NATO's eyes and ears in this area, and we see that they are testing new weapons, such as hypersonic missiles, as well as nuclear-powered torpedoes and nuclear warheads," Sandvik said.

The Kola Peninsula, known for having the world's most concentrated stockpile of nuclear weapons, plays a key role in the Kremlin's "second strike" potential. In nuclear strategy, the term "second strike" refers to a country's ability to strike back after an adversary's first nuclear strike. An example of this is the British Trident nuclear deterrent.

The Kola Peninsula, which is historically the base of the Soviet and now the Russian Northern Fleet, was occupied in 1733 to protect the fishing and trade routes of the Russian Empire. Today, however, according to Sandvik, the area has a more threatening purpose. According to the politician, despite the fact that Putin suffered significant losses in Ukraine (already about a million dead soldiers), the Northern Fleet remained intact and continues to develop.

Over the past two years, Russia has launched a new frigate and a multipurpose submarine. And it is Russian submarines that pose the greatest danger. Despite the difficulties in Ukraine, the threat of nuclear warheads and retaliatory capabilities from the Kola Peninsula allows Russia to maintain its superpower status.

Before its latest expansion, the Russian fleet included at least 16 nuclear-powered submarines and an advanced hypersonic Zircon missile capable of speeds eight times the speed of sound. Tore Sandvik emphasized the importance of fleet surveillance, saying: "Norway, along with the United States and Great Britain, monitors this around the clock. It is the most important surveillance system in NATO.

" The melting of the ice in the region will make it possible to open new shipping routes, which will be very beneficial in financial terms for ships plying between Europe and Asia. But now these routes can also become key supply lines in the event of a conflict with Russia. The first important route is the Bear Pass, a narrow water channel that runs between mainland Norway and the island of Svalbard. Russian ships must pass through this passage to enter the Atlantic Ocean.

The second is the GIUK Strait, a strategically important naval passage located between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom that serves as a route for naval forces in the region. "Putin is not interested in peace. . . Putin's plan does not include a lasting peace with Ukraine. If he can, he will return.

Even if we have a peace agreement in Ukraine, military actions on the ground and a stable situation, one analysis shows that he will mobilize millions of soldiers near the border with Finland," Sandvik said. We will remind you that Russia is also stockpiling tanks for a breakthrough into Europe. Yehor Chernev, deputy chairman of the Council's committee on national security, is confident of this.