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Russia wants to shut down the North Sea Trail for alien ships.
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
The Russian government intends to introduce restrictions for foreign warships wishing to use the North Maritime Trail. The planned provisions de facto mean that Moscow can block any foreign war fleet movement by strategic Arctic route. It is part of Russia's isolation and militarisation policy, especially the Arctic.
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In the government, rules for the passage of foreign warships across the North Sea Trail were established. Alien units will be required to warn Russia of plans to cross the North Sea Trail in advance of 45 days. However, the Russian authorities may not agree to voyage. Foreigners shall indicate the name of the unit and its basic parameters, such as buoyancy, dive or engine characteristics. Among the requirements is information about the military rank and name of the captain of the ship. Ships that will be approved voyageThey'll have to board Russian pilots. In the event of an emergency or a deterioration in the situation due to the icy of the trail, foreign units will have to inform the nearest port or naval base of Russia. If necessary, Russian icebreakers will be sent to help them.
The fact that the passage of foreign ships through the Northern Maritime Trail will be possible only after the notification of the Russian authorities, in November 2018 spoke the head of the National Centre for Defence Management of Russia, Mikhail Mizincev. At the same time Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that the government would temporarily allow foreigners to use the Trail from 1 January 2019. The Russian government is of the opinion that the Northern Maritime Trail is "pure Russian coastal waters", and similar restrictions at their banks of the United States introduced already in the 1920s.
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The northern trail is the shortest seaway between the European part of Russia and the Far East, the shortest alternative to the route via the Suez Canal. It runs through the waters of the Karski Sea, the Balptiv Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Cucotic Sea. The route is sailing all year long thanks to the activity of the Russian icebreaker fleet. In the May 2018 decree Vladimir Putin set the goal of increasing freight trade on the Northern Maritime Route to 80 million tonnes by 2024. But it's not a real goal. Government assessments show that the turnover will be up to 52 million tonnes per year at the indicated time. The Northern Maritime Route plays an increasingly important role in Russia's energy policy – it is primarily about transporting LNG to Asian markets.
Source: Warsaw Institute (title comes from the editorial board of the Shipyard Portal).
