Cold Response 2026: NATO holds Arctic drills to test readiness against Russia

As global attention remains focused on the Middle East, a parallel contest of influence is unfolding in the Far North, where NATO troops have recently carried out a large-scale exercise simulating a Russian invasion.

Armoured vehicles, ships, helicopters, and thousands of soldiers braved sub-zero conditions to test their readiness and send a clear message to Moscow.

This report from our colleagues at FRANCE 2 and FRANCE 24’s Guillaume Gougeon.