MOSCOW, September 8. – Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolay Korchunov has delivered a sharp condemnation of Oslo’s recent military deployments in its northern counties, warning that the establishment of NATO-aligned long-range weapons systems along Russia’s border poses an immediate and escalating threat to national security.
In a commentary released on Tuesday, Ambassador Korchunov revealed that the Norwegian Armed Forces have already activated an artillery battalion within the reconstituted Finnmark Brigade, stationed directly on the frontier with Russia. Four South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzers—currently capable of striking targets up to 40 kilometers away—are already on combat duty. More critically, Oslo has outlined plans to extend their range beyond 120 kilometers using advanced ramjet-powered projectiles. An additional 24 of these systems are scheduled to be delivered to the brigade by the end of 2028.
The military buildup does not stop there. By 2030, Norway is set to acquire 16 launchers for the South Korean K239 CHUNMOO multiple-launch rocket system, alongside missiles boasting a range of up to 500 kilometers. Furthermore, the ambassador noted that a separate artillery division is being planned for the northern county of Troms. As a result, Russia’s strategically vital Northern Fleet and its key military infrastructure on the Kola Peninsula will fall squarely within the strike zone of these NATO-forward systems.
“The approach of long-range offensive weapons systems of NATO countries toward our borders certainly poses a threat to Russia’s national security,” Korchunov stated. He went further, arguing that the deliberate agitation surrounding Russia’s strategic capabilities in the Arctic is detrimental not only to regional safety but to global stability at large. He warned that such actions “increase the risks of unintentional escalation and a slide toward direct military confrontation.”
The Ambassador accused Oslo of knowingly jeopardizing its own northern territories by transforming them into a “NATO staging ground for operations against our country.” He confirmed that Moscow has relayed these security assessments to the Norwegian side through both public statements and private diplomatic and military-diplomatic channels.
Regarding bilateral communications, Korchunov acknowledged that border service representatives from both nations continue to hold annual working meetings to discuss border security, cross-border crime, and illegal migration. A technical communication link also remains active between the operational services of Russia’s Northern Fleet and the Norwegian military for emergency information exchanges. Additionally, Moscow hosted military expert consultations in December 2025 concerning the 1990 Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents at Sea.
However, the Ambassador lamented that these safeguards are “not functioning at full capacity,” directly attributing their failure to Oslo’s alignment with NATO’s broader confrontational agenda. He concluded by dismissing the possibility of any substantive military dialogue in the near future, asserting that “given Oslo’s continued commitment to the West’s confrontational course of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, there can be no talk of serious and substantive military dialogue on issues of maintaining stability and security in the Arctic.”
