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, August 11, 2025
Sanctioned Suezmax Oil Tanker Navigates Russian Arctic Without Permit, Unknown Insurance, and Overdue for Inspection
Shipping

Sanctioned Suezmax Oil Tanker Navigates Russian Arctic Without Permit, Unknown Insurance, and Overdue for Inspection

Russia continues to push the safety envelope for oil shipments via the Arctic. A 19-year old sanctioned Suezmax tanker, Latur, loaded with Russian crude oil

August 11, 2025
Total Views: 25801

Thursday, August 7, 2025
China Deploys Five Icebreakers Near Alaska in Unprecedented Arctic Move
Defense

China Deploys Five Icebreakers Near Alaska in Unprecedented Arctic Move

In a significant show of Arctic prowess, China has dispatched five icebreaking research vessels to the region. This is the first time the country has operated

August 7, 2025
Total Views: 6936

Monday, August 4, 2025
Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear in a convoy on the Northern Sea Route during an eastbound voyage in October 2023. (Source: Rosatomflot)
Shipping

Chinese Companies Dispatch Multiple Container Ships Along Arctic Route For Faster Europe Trade

With summer navigation season in the Arctic ramping up, several Chinese companies have dispatched container ships through the Arctic aiming to take advantage

August 4, 2025
Total Views: 17887

Monday, July 28, 2025
Finnish Border Guard's photo of a Hong Kong registered cargo ship 'Newnew Polar Bear', which was spotted moving close to the Balticconnector gas line, during the joint press conference of the investigation of the possible attack on the Balticconnector gas line on 8th Oct., 2023 between Finland and Estonia at the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation in Vantaa, Finland, 24 October 2023. Lehtikuva/HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA via REUTERS
Incidents

‘Newnew Polar Bear’ Containership Set to Return to Europe via Arctic After 2023 Balticconnector Incident

Two years after damaging the Balticconnector pipeline and communication cables in the Gulf of Finland, Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear has set sail

July 28, 2025
Total Views: 1251

U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Chinese Icebreaker ‘Xue Long 2’ on American Continental Shelf off Alaska
Defense

U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Chinese Icebreaker ‘Xue Long 2’ on American Continental Shelf off Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard has responded to Chinese activity on the extended U.S. Continental Shelf (ECS) approximately 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik,

July 28, 2025
Total Views: 23716

Wednesday, July 23, 2025
EU Shipyards Continue to Service Vessels Carrying Russian LNG
Energy

EU Shipyards Continue to Service Vessels Carrying Russian LNG

European shipyards continue to play a fundamental role in keeping Russia’s fleet of liquefied natural gas carriers in service. As summer maintenance season

July 23, 2025
Total Views: 1693

Tuesday, July 22, 2025
FILE PHOTO: People attend the launch ceremony of China's first domestically built polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard in Shanghai, China September 10, 2018. Picture taken September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer
Defense

Chinese Icebreaker ‘Xue Long 2’ Operating North of Alaska, Two More En Route to Arctic

China’s first home-built polar icebreaker Xue Long 2 has arrived in the Arctic for its summer 2025 research mission. The vessel departed from Shanghai around

July 22, 2025
Total Views: 4396

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: 1994

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: 1420

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: 5994

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: 9777

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: 1471

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: 1732

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: 5475

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: 8926

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: 1027

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: 4948

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: 2018