The escalation of the military conflict between India and Pakistan poses serious risks to the security of shipping in the Indian Ocean.
This may increase the interest of a number of countries in the Northern Sea Route, Alexander Vorotnikov, coordinator of the expert council of the Arctic Development Project Management and associate professor at the Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of Russia, told TASS.
On May 7, in the early hours, India launched Operation “Sindur“, aimed at the so-called “terrorist infrastructure“ on the territory of Pakistan. In response, Islamabad closed its airspace for 48 hours and carried out counterattacks.
“As a result of this conflict, the Northern Sea Route is starting to look like a safer alternative. Many Asian countries - especially those with good relations with Russia - are likely to turn to it. After all, nothing is worth more than security. If tensions increase, the number of those who prefer to use the Northern Sea Route will also grow,“ Vorotnikov points out.
According to him, the situation in the region could seriously disrupt shipping safety in the southern Indian Ocean.
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest water route between the European part of Russia and the Far East. It is a major sea artery in the Russian part of the Arctic, with a total length of about 5,600 km.