A 2026 report details Russia and China's use of Arctic shipping, scientific expeditions, and satellites to conduct hybrid warfare, including espionage, sabotage, and influence operations in the Arctic region.

On January 22, 2026, the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats released a detailed 43-page assessment revealing how Russia and China are building a hybrid warfare capability in the Arctic. This involves converting civilian scientific research, shipping infrastructure, and satellite systems into tools for military reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and influence campaigns. China explicitly integrates military goals within Arctic science under its Military-Civil Fusion strategy, with the PLA conducting reconnaissance and security cooperation missions. Russia controls over half of the Arctic coastline and by partnering with China on the Northern Sea Route, facilitates dual-use naval and commercial operations supported by icebreaker escorts. Both states are expanding satellite constellations with enhanced polar coverage and communication tracking abilities, aiming for 'information dominance.' Documented hybrid activities in the Norwegian High North include hacking, GPS jamming, espionage by fishing vessels and drones, and sabotage of communication cables linked to Russia's GRU. In the Canadian Arctic, China conducts cyber influence and exploitative telecom marketing targeting Indigenous communities. These hybrid threats risk escalation ahead of potential military conflicts, with the Northern Fleet playing a key nuclear deterrent role near NATO borders and Chinese investments bolstering Russia's war economy. The report warns for EU and NATO preparedness against similar future Arctic hybrid attacks.