14.09 Russian Naval Force Start of Permanent Presence in East Arctic - Official
MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) With the arrival of Russian military ships in the eastern part of the Arctic Laptev Sea off Russias northern coast in recent days the Ministry of Defense said Saturday that Russia now had a permanent military presence in the Arctic region.
Two days ago a naval task force from the Northern Fleet began major exercises around the Novossibirsk Islands. We arrived there or more accurately we have returned there forever, said Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhin following a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Under international law the Arctic belongs to no single country, but the huge area is strategically important for northern hemisphere countries, and is believed to contain huge quantities of hydrocarbons and other minerals.
The Russian task force is led by the heavy nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, and includes the large amphibious assault ships Olenegorsky Gornyak and Kondopoga and a variety of other support vessels. The group of ships will take part in exercises around the Novossibirsk Islands, which are located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberia Sea, Bakhin said.
