Northern Fleet
Russia launches major military maneuvers in the Arctic
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Russian-Belarusian State Council. photo
© Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa
To assert its claim to the polar region, Russia established units specialized in combat in the Arctic more than a decade ago. Now a multi-day maneuver starts.
According to its own statements, Russia’s Northern Fleet has started a major maneuver in the waters of the Arctic. 1,800 soldiers and more than a dozen ships are to take part in the exercise, the press service of the fleet said, according to the Interfax news agency.
“Particular attention will be paid to the safety of Russia’s merchant marine and sea routes, such as the Northeast Passage, during the maneuver,” the statement said.
The maneuver is expected to last several days. The interaction between the ships and the Russian Air Force is being examined under the direction of the relevant command staffs. After all, 40 airplanes and helicopters are also in use, as well as vehicles for land operations.
Specializing in arctic combat
The Northeast Passage runs along the north coast of Russia. Due to the increasing global warming, the route is becoming more and more important for shipping traffic, because in the meantime it is even passable in summer without an icebreaker. The Northeast Passage is important for Russia in order to be able to export raw materials that the country in the far north produces, such as natural gas, which is transported in liquefied form from the arctic cold Yamal Peninsula.
In order to assert its claim to the polar region, Moscow established units specializing in combat in the Arctic more than a decade ago.