Northern Fleet warns of missile activity into Norwegian EEZ on anniversary of Ukraine all-out invasion
The Norwegian Armed Forces are closely monitoring the situation. However, the Norwegians stress that it is Russia’s responsibility to ensure the activity is conducted safely.
Russia’s Northern Fleet has notified civilian aviation authorities and maritime traffic about planned missile firing in a section of the Barents Sea that spans both sides of the Russian–Norwegian maritime border.
The warning takes effect at 1:00 a.m. on February 24 and remains active until 2:00 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday, February 26.
The westernmost part of the designated area lies north of Norway’s Varanger Peninsula.
When contacted by the Barents Observer, the Norwegian Joint Headquarters confirmed Russia’s announced activity.
“We are familiar with the danger area as you describe it,” said spokesperson Brynjar Stordal.
He noted that the area is located in international waters and airspace, meaning Russia has the right to carry out such activity. However, Stordal stressed that "Russia is responsible for ensuring that all operations are conducted safely."
By Monday afternoon, there are only one or two fishing vessels inside the warning area, according to the live vessel-tracking service FishInfo, a portal under BarentsWatch and operated by the Norwegian Coastal Administration.
“We are, of course, monitoring all such activity in our immediate vicinity,” Stordal added. He did not elaborate on Norway’s current operational capabilities in this part of the Barents Sea.
Unclear what type of missile
The Northern Fleet has not specified what type of missile will be fired. There is also no open-source information indicating which Russian Navy vessels are currently operating in the area.
A series of photos released Russia's Ministry of Defence on Monday showed that all three Northern Fleet frigates were docked in Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet's main base. The photos were published from the ceremony in port celebrating Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 23.
The launch could involve either a surface-to-surface or a air-to-surface missile. It is also possible that the warning serves primarily as military signaling to Norway and NATO, rather than indicating an actual missile launch.
The warning becomes active on the night marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Missile launch in 2022
In February 2022, just days before the full-scale invasion, the Northern Fleet issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering an area that extended across the maritime delimitation line in the Barents Sea.
At the time, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov launched a Tsirkon hypersonic missile from a position near Norway’s Bear Island, approximately 150–200 nautical miles west of the Russian sector of the Barents Sea. The launch took place in international waters, but within Norway’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Strategic importance of the Barents Sea
It is widely believed that in the event of escalating tensions between Russia and the West, the Northern Fleet would be tasked with securing control over the entire Barents Sea to protect its nuclear-armed submarines patrolling Arctic waters.
Training for such scenarios remains a priority for Moscow, especially after 2022.
In March, troops from 14 NATO countries will participate in military exercises in northern Norway and Finland. The exercise Cold Response will be Norway’s largest military drill in 2026, involving approximately 25,000 soldiers. However, none of the activities will take place near the Russian border.
The primary objective of the exercise is to strengthen NATO’s ability to defend its northern flank - on land, at sea, and in the air.
