Malte Humpert

Malte Humpert is an investigative journalist for gCaptain and High North News, and Senior Fellow at The Arctic Institute, which he founded in 2011. Based in Tahoe City, California, his research focuses on Arctic geopolitics, Northern Sea Route shipping, and China's interests in the polar region. He was the first journalist to report on Maersk's historic 2018 container ship voyage through the Arctic. His analysis has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Economist. Malte holds a Master's degree in European Studies from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.


Monday, July 21, 2025
A ‘North’-series Arc4 LNG carrier in Rotterdam, Netherlands in November 2023
Energy

EU Delists Three Sanctioned MOL LNG Carriers After Assurances Vessels Will Not Carry Russian Arctic Gas

In what appears to be a first, the European Union has delisted three previously sanctioned Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) LNG carriers. The move comes as part of

July 21, 2025
Total Views: 1987

Thursday, July 17, 2025
lng ship bunkering in fog
Energy

Second Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker Docks at Sanctioned Arctic LNG Project As Moscow Struggles to Find Buyers

A year after Russia’s flagship liquefied natural gas project, Arctic LNG 2, loaded its first cargo, buyers remain elusive. Despite the ongoing difficulties

July 17, 2025
Total Views: 1416

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
A linehandler aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21) prepares to moor at Coast Guard Base Seattle, July 11, 2025, ahead of its inaugural Arctic deployment.
Defense

U.S. Coast Guard’s Newest Icebreaker ‘Storis’ Arrives in Seattle, Prepares for First Arctic Patrol

The U.S.’ newly acquired icebreaker Storis (formerly Aiviq) arrived in Seattle following a six-week voyage from Bollinger Shipyards in Mississippi. “In a

July 16, 2025
Total Views: 5989

Monday, July 14, 2025
Finnish and Canadian Firms Make a Move to Build ‘Arctic Security Cutter’ Icebreaker for U.S. Coast Guard by 2028
Defense

Finnish and Canadian Firms Make a Move to Build ‘Arctic Security Cutter’ Icebreaker for U.S. Coast Guard by 2028

A consortium of Finnish and Canadian firms aims to construct two medium-sized Arctic Security Cutter icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard. According to

July 14, 2025
Total Views: 9775

Thursday, July 10, 2025
Chinese Container Ships Receive Permission to Sail Russia’s Arctic Northern Sea Route
Shipping

Chinese Container Ships Receive Permission to Sail Russia’s Arctic Northern Sea Route

The same day Yemen’s Houthi militants resumed attacks against multiple vessels in the Red Sea after months of calm, several Chinese container ships received

July 10, 2025
Total Views: 1469

Monday, July 7, 2025
EU Funds Latest Finnish Icebreaker, Russia’s Newest Arctic Icebreaking Vessel ‘Katerina Velikaya’ Begins Sea Trials
Shipbuilding

EU Funds Latest Finnish Icebreaker, Russia’s Newest Arctic Icebreaking Vessel ‘Katerina Velikaya’ Begins Sea Trials

The European Commission awarded close to $50 million to Finland supporting construction of its new Baltic Sea class B icebreaker. The new vessel is intended to

July 7, 2025
Total Views: 1729

Friday, July 4, 2025
Trump Bill Secures $9 Billion for U.S. Arctic Surge, Six New Icebreakers to Counter Russian and Chinese Dominance
Defense

Trump Bill Secures $9 Billion for U.S. Arctic Surge, Six New Icebreakers to Counter Russian and Chinese Dominance

President Trump’s vast tax and spending bill has secured funds the U.S. Coast Guard has been searching for since the early 2010s. The “One Big Beautiful

July 4, 2025
Total Views: 5467

Wednesday, July 2, 2025
LNG in Arctic
Shipping

Gas Carrier Dashes Across Arctic Ocean in Just 10 Days Delivering Russian LNG to Asia

The 172,846 cbm LNG carrier Georgiy Ushakov crossed the Arctic from Russia’s Yamal Peninsula to the Bering Strait in less than 10 days passing through

July 2, 2025
Total Views: 8923

Monday, June 30, 2025
Russia Deploys New ‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier to Load Gas at Sanctioned Arctic Project
Energy

Russia Deploys New ‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier to Load Gas at Sanctioned Arctic Project

Russia has started renewed efforts to export liquefied natural gas from its flagship project, Arctic LNG 2. After mothballing the plant for nearly nine months

June 30, 2025
Total Views: 1026

Friday, June 27, 2025
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) transits the Puget Sound en route to the Arctic region, June 19, 2025
Defense

U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker ‘Healy’ Heads To Arctic for Multi-Month Deployment

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy has reached the Arctic Ocean marking the beginning of its annual Arctic deployment in support of science missions. The icebreaker

June 27, 2025
Total Views: 2186

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
U.S. in Talks to Buy 15 Icebreakers from Finland, Trump Says at NATO Summit
Defense

U.S. in Talks to Buy 15 Icebreakers from Finland, Trump Says at NATO Summit

U.S. efforts to expand the country’s icebreaker fleet continue to pick up steam. At the NATO summit in The Hague President Trump confirmed that the U.S. was

June 25, 2025
Total Views: 4945

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Sanctioned LNG Carrier Approaches Russian Arctic Export Plants Following Nine-Month Freeze 
Shipping

Sanctioned LNG Carrier Approaches Russian Arctic Export Plants Following Nine-Month Freeze 

Following a nine-month hiatus Russia’s LNG shadow fleet is on the move again. Sanctioned LNG carrier Iris (ex-North Sky) passed through the Kara Gate

June 24, 2025
Total Views: 1413

Monday, June 23, 2025
Russian Nuclear Icebreakers Clear Path For First LNG Delivery of the Year to Asia via Arctic
Shipping

Russian Nuclear Icebreakers Clear Path For First LNG Delivery of the Year to Asia via Arctic

Russia’s Yamal LNG project has dispatched the first gas carrier in the direction of Asia via the Northern Sea Route. Two nuclear icebreakers, Yamal and

June 23, 2025
Total Views: 2013

Thursday, June 19, 2025
Samsung Cancels Order For Icebreaking Gas Carriers For Russia’s Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 Project
Shipbuilding

Samsung Cancels Order For Icebreaking Gas Carriers For Russia’s Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 Project

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has terminated a contract to build icebreaking LNG carriers in partnership with Russia’s Zvezda

June 19, 2025
Total Views: 1610

Friday, June 13, 2025
U.S. Coast Guard’s New Icebreaker USCGC ‘Storis’ Transits Panama Canal en Route to Arctic
Defense

U.S. Coast Guard’s New Icebreaker USCGC ‘Storis’ Transits Panama Canal en Route to Arctic

On the way to its initial Arctic deployment U.S. Coast Guard polar icebreaker Storis (WAGB 21) has transited through the Panama Canal. The polar class

June 13, 2025
Total Views: 7326

Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Russia’s Newest Icebreaking Tanker Reaches Arctic Mega Project ‘Vostok Oil’ For First Time
Energy

Russia’s Newest Icebreaking Tanker Reaches Arctic Mega Project ‘Vostok Oil’ For First Time

Russia’s newest ice-capable oil tanker, Valentin Pikul, has reached the Vostok Oil project, under construction in the high Arctic, for the first time. The

June 10, 2025
Total Views: 2226

Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Morning Midas fire
Incidents

US Coast Guard Responding to Fire on Car Carrier ‘Morning Midas’ Off Coast Of Alaska; 800 Electric Vehicles On Board

The US Coast Guard is reporting no injuries among the 22 crew aboard the medium-size car carrier. Morning Midas is capable of carrying around 6,000 motor

June 4, 2025
Total Views: 25723

Everest Energy at Koryak
Energy

Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Loads First LNG in Eight Months Signaling Breakthrough in Search for Buyer

After months of inactivity Russia’s nascent fleet of sanctioned LNG carriers is on the move again. The 79,800-cbm Arctic Mulan (ex-Mulan) pulled alongside

June 4, 2025
Total Views: 8913

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Sky view of the Northern Fleet Severomorsk on a cloudy day in Russia
Defense

Russia’s Northern Fleet Not Targeted by Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack Contrary to Initial Reports

As the scope of Ukraine’s massive stealth drone attack across Russia over the weekend comes into focus, one thing now appears clear. Contrary to early media

June 3, 2025
Total Views: 2392

Friday, May 30, 2025
LNG carrier in dense fog
Shipping

Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Readies for Summer as Sanctioned LNG Carriers Receive Permits for Arctic Route

In recent days at least a half-dozen sanctioned LNG carriers have received permits to sail Russia’s Northern Sea Route this summer. The vessels include last

May 30, 2025
Total Views: 3276