Chinese sabotage ship returns to Arctic waters
The Newnew Polar Bear on August 15 made port call in the north Russian city of Arkhangelsk. At the same time, two of its sister ships sailed along the Norwegian coast.
The Newnew Polar Bear had sailed from China and through the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route. On board were reportedly 497 containers filled with auto spare parts, vinyl foil and steel. Only four days later, the 169 meter long ship again set out to sea.
Judging from ship traffic data, the container vessel on August 19 left Arkhangelsk. It is expected to reach Shanghai on September 16.
The Newnew Polar Bear made headlines across the world after it in October 2023 damaged a gas pipeline and two communication cables in the Baltic Sea. The ship dragged one of its anchors along the sea bottom, and Finnish authorities quickly concluded that it was a case of deliberate sabotage.
Following the sabotage acts, the ship quickly escaped to Russian Arctic waters. It briefly made a port call in Arkhangelsk and subsequently returned to China via the Northern Sea Route.
Chinese authorities ultimately confirmed that the Newnew Polar Bear was responsible for the damaged underwater infrastructure and charged ship captain Wan Wenguo. The 43-year-old man appeared in court in Hong Kong in May 2025 to face criminal charges.
The Newnew Polar Bear is operated by Torgmoll, a company with a shady ownership connection to Russia.
In late 2024, the company signed a cooperation agreement with Rosatom, the Russian nuclear power company in charge of developing the Northern Sea Route. Torgmoll is also a close partner of the north Russian region of Arkhangelsk.
Torgmoll has a fleet of ice-class cargo and container ships. At least five of them are approved for sailing on the Northern Sea Route this year, information from the Northern Sea Route Administration shows.
Among them are the Newnew Star and Newnew Panda 1, both of which this week sailed along the Norwegian coast. The Newnew Star was on the way from the Chinese port of Tianjin to St.Petersburg, while the Newnew Panda 1 sailed in the opposite direction from St.Petersburg to Nansha.
The north Russian region of Arkhangelsk sees the maritime connection to China as a key priority.
"The attention that our Chinese partners are currently paying to the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route is compelling us to significantly increase the pace of cooperation in all areas," Regional Governor Aleksandr Tsybulsky said during a conference last year.
In the conference panel was also Fan Yuxin, the director of the Newnew Shipping Line.
Yuxin has repeatedly expressed her company's intention to invest in Arctic shipping.
"The Arctic route is indeed an important strategic transport solution for international trade between China and Russia. Our shipping company has become a participant in the development and implementation of the Northern Sea Route. And we plan to develop and expand our investments in the construction of high Arctic-class container ships for year-round operation," she said in a comment.
It is not clear exactly what kind of products that the Chinese and Russians ship on the remote Arctic route. Potentially, the ships could be stuffed with equipment for Russia's war in Ukraine.
The strictly controlled trade route is far away from the control mechanisms of the international community. The Russians can do murky business without attracting much attention.
