Northern Sea Route: why this chokepoint matters, which countries sit on it, and the latest Bureau coverage.
Last updated: October 2026
Bureau read: 1 country sits on this passage; Russia (84.29/100). A chokepoint is judged by how many navies can hold it — and by the power of those who border it.
The Northern Sea Route is the Arctic shipping route along Russia's northern coast, from the Kara Strait to the Bering Strait — about 5,600 kilometres. It cuts Asia–Europe distance by roughly 40% versus Suez, and Russian cargo volumes passed 35 million tonnes in 2023, mostly Russian oil, LNG, and minerals.
Russia border this passage. The Bureau's page for each country shows its national power score and full profile.
The Northern Sea Route is a strategic chokepoint — a narrow passage through which a large share of world trade or energy flows. A blockage or disruption here reroutes shipping, raises freight costs, and ripples into prices worldwide.
Each chokepoint carries a plain risk rating: Critical means the flow is disrupted or under direct threat; Tense means it works but pressure is building; Calm means normal operations. Ratings are reviewed every week.
The Bureau's page does not give a single oil-volume figure for the route. Russian Arctic crude (Novy Port, Prirazlomnoye) and Yamal LNG move along it; volumes are growing from a small base and remain a fraction of Suez flows.
The Bureau's page does not state a single percentage of global trade for the route. Russian figures put 2023 cargo above 35 million tonnes — still a fraction of the roughly 1.2 billion tonnes that transit Suez annually.
Along Russia's Arctic coast, from the Kara Strait (Novaya Zemlya) to the Bering Strait — about 5,600 kilometres, connecting the Atlantic (Barents Sea) to the Pacific.
Asia–Europe traffic returns to Suez — the Northern Sea Route saves roughly 40% of the distance — and Russia's Arctic export outlet, including Yamal LNG, is sealed.
Sources: Russian Northern Sea Route Administration — cargo volumes and transit rules. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Arctic energy flows. UNCTAD, Review of Maritime Transport (2024). Observation date: 11 Oct 2026.
