Under the 1920 Paris Treaty, Svalbard is part of Norway but is demilitarized. Russia retains the right to maintain a presence at the Barentsburg and Pyramiden settlements under the accord, though both remain under full Norwegian jurisdiction.
Eskil Grendahl Sivertsen, a Russian propaganda expert at Norway's Defence Research Establishment (FFI), told PAP news agency that Norway's sovereignty over Svalbard was not under threat in a legal sense, but said the May 9 ceremonies were part of a pattern of Russian propaganda activity linked to the archipelago.
"Ceremonies involving people in Russian uniforms on Svalbard are a signal challenging Norwegian sovereignty", Sivertsen said.
Thomas Nilsen, editor-in-chief of the Barents Observer magazine, took a sharper view, describing the celebrations to Norwegian daily Dagbladet as a Kremlin provocation and a test of Norwegian reactions, calling the use of youth "deeply troubling".
Barentsburg is a Russian mining settlement of several hundred people. May 9 marks the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and is commemorated with military parades across Russia. At this year's Red Square parade in Moscow, military hardware was absent for the first time in years, with authorities citing security concerns.
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Source: PAP