For more than 100 years, Russia has illegally occupied Wrangel Island, an American-claimed island in the Arctic—and has now fortified it with a military base.
Wrangel Island, a remote Arctic gem in the Chukchi Sea, stands as one of the world’s most pristine natural sanctuaries. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and a federally protected nature reserve since 1975, this 2,934-square-mile island hosts unparalleled biodiversity, including polar bears, mush oxen, and ancient mammoth remains. Yet beneath its icy façade lies a contentious military outpost: the Ushakovskoye facility. This Russian military installation, featuring the advanced Sopka-2 radar and support infrastructure, not only violates the island’s protected status, but also occupies what is historically American territory that has been illegally annexed by Russia.
As Russia’s militarization of the Arctic region intensifies, Ushakovskoye base poses severe environmental and geopolitical threats, a mere 300 miles west of Alaska.
The Wrangel Island Dispute
Wrangel Island’s sovereignty dispute traces back to the 19th century, rooted in exploration and imperial ambitions. Discovered by a Russian naval officer named Ferdinand von Wrangel in 1823, the island saw no permanent settlement until American interests emerged. In 1881, the United States formally claimed Wrangel Island under the Guano Islands Act, asserting it as US territory due to its strategic Arctic position and potential resources. America’s claim on the island was bolstered by American expeditions to the island, including Vihjalmur Stefansson’s 1921 venture, which established a provisional government and raised the US flag.
Russia’s claims to the island came later. In 1916, Tsar Nicholas II issued an imperial proclamation of sovereignty over the island, but the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war distracted the Kremlin from the issue for nearly a decade. In 1924, however, Soviet forces illegally seized the island, expelling American and British settlers in a brazen act of aggression. Since then, in spite of occasional protests from Washington, Russia has kept the island, gradually building up facilities such as Ushakovskoye to strengthen its control.
Legal scholars argue that the US claim remains dormant, and the US State Department declined to press it under the second Bush administration. However, the American claim is valid, unextinguished by time or acquiescence. More importantly, the island’s strategic position only 300 miles away from America’s Alaska frontier, means that Washington should not so easily drop its rightful claim to Wrangel Island.
Why Does Russia Want Wrangel Island?
The fact that Moscow continues behaving aggressively toward Alaska’s airspace—most recently flying nuclear-capable bombers off the coast of Alaska—means that Washington should sooner or later respond with similarly provocative actions.
Even though Russia administers the island as part of Chukotka, the lack of former US renunciation preserves Washington’s historical claim. Therefore, Russia’s hold on the island constitutes an illegal occupation. Setting aside the strategic value of the island, the region that Wrangel Island is in is rich in untapped oil, natural gas, and sits in the midst of a major shipping route. The United States cannot abandon its claim simply because the Russians have moved forces on the island.
Named after explorer Georgy Ushakov, the Ushakovskoye military facility on Wrangel Island represents the tip of the spear that is Russia’s aggressive Arctic buildup. Established in the 2010s as part of the “Arctic Shield” initiative, this Russian military facility includes an airfield, barracks, fuel depots, and communication centers. Central to the base is the Sopka-2 radar, a state-of-the-art S-band air surveillance system deployed in 2016. That radar features a primary phased-array antenna for three-dimensional tracking of up to 350 kilometers, supplemented by secondary radars for aircraft identification. Housed in a protective dome to withstand temperatures of up to 40 degrees below zero (F) and 89 mile-per-hour winds, Sopka-2 monitors air traffic and detects intruders with high precision. Russian forces tested its capabilities in 2021 exercises, confirming its role in airspace control. Support installations include logistics hubs for sustaining up to 100 personnel, enhancing Russia’s projection of power in the eastern Arctic.
This development contrasts sharply with the island’s pre-2014 status, when it hosted only a small weather station and reindeer herders. Satellite imagery has since revealed expanded runways and storage, turning a nature preserve into a fortified outpost.
Positioned near the Bering Strait, the Sopka-2 radar provides real-time intelligence on US and NATO movements, covering key Alaskan approaches. This enables early warning for missile defenses and potential jamming of GPS signals, heightening escalation risks. As Russia rebuilds 50 Arctic bases, Wrangel serves as an eastern flank outpost, supporting submarines and bombers amid resource rivalries.
Russia Is Destroying the Environment on Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island’s status as a protected nature sanctuary amplifies the outrage over the establishment of the Ushakovskoye military facility. As a UNESCO site, it safeguards high Arctic biodiversity, with over 60 mammal species and migratory bird routes. Military activities, however, introduce pollution from fuel spills, construction debris, and emissions—threatening fragile ecosystems. UNESCO’s 2018 report urged Russia to mitigate impacts from such facilities, yet expansion continues unabated.
Abandoned Soviet era bases already litter the landscape with rusting wreckage, and new installations exacerbate habitat disruption for endangered polar bears and walruses.
America Could Use Wrangel Island
For the US, this illegal Russian presence on American soil threatens national security, as well as a loss of economic opportunity and prestige. It could facilitate hybrid warfare, including cyber intrusions or incursions, in a region vital for future trade via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Experts warn of miscalculation leading to conflict, especially with NATO’s growing Arctic focus. The facility’s dual-use nature—civilian air control masking military surveillance—blurs lines, inviting tension.
Russia’s Ushakovskoye facility on Wrangel Island starkly illustrates Arctic imperialism: a protected sanctuary despoiled by an illegal military base on disputed American territory. The Sopka-2 radar and its infrastructure not only violate environmental protections but pose direct threats to US interests through surveillance and militarization. As the Arctic thaws, the US must revive its claim to the island—at the very least to use for diplomatic leverage in dealing with Moscow.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / mergus.
