The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a maritime corridor and a historically developed national transportation artery of Russia. It is the shortest shipping route, approximately 5,600 kilometres long, connecting the western part of Eurasia with the Asia-Pacific region. The route was used for domestic transport and gained economic importance for the Soviet Union around World War II. The NSR's course was defined in a Russian regulation in 1990. It solves the problem of long transit times by reducing the distance between Europe and Asia by 30-40% compared to the Suez Canal route. The 2021 blockage of the Suez Canal further highlighted the need for this alternative West-East transit route.
The NSR is defined in Article 5.1 of the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation as the water area adjacent to Russia's northern coast, encompassing its internal sea waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It passes through the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi Seas. Russia maintains managed access, requiring foreign ships to comply with the Rules of Navigation and often imposing icebreaker and pilotage fees, which some states dispute under UNCLOS Article 26. The NSR is often equated with the Northeast Passage and is analogous to Canada's Northwest Passage. Geopolitically, China has branded its use of the route as the "Ice Silk Road".
The route has changed recently due to climate change, as retreating sea ice is extending the summer navigation season. This increased accessibility has shifted the NSR from an experimental route to a commercially contested one. In 2025, container transits along the NSR reached a record 23. In 2026, the Chinese carrier Sea Legend launched the first regular container service, named the China-Europe Arctic Express. Russia is simultaneously consolidating its control through infrastructure, regulation, and military presence.