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Russia to set up air defense infrastructure in Arctic Ocean in 2019

The Wrangel Island and Cape Schmidt in the Chukchi Sea and Sredniy Island of the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago are the locations

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry will finish establishing the infrastructure for setting up air defense systems on the Wrangel Island (Arctic Ocean, Chukchi Sea), Sredniy Island (Arctic Ocean, the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago), and Cape Schmidt (Chukchi Sea) in 2019, Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s annual board meeting, where President Vladimir Putin was present.

"In 2019, we will finish establishing the infrastructure for placing the infrastructure of air defense radar units and air control centers on the Sredniy Island, the Wrangel Island and Cape Schmidt," Shoigu said.

He added that within the program of establishing the Arctic infrastructure, reconstruction works were conducted at the Severomorsk-1 airfield (Murmansk Region), such as renovating the landing strip, constructing launch pads and building residential buildings for military personnel. Similar works continue at the Temp airfield on the Kotelny Island (located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea in the Russian Arctic).

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