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Russia’s Defence Ministry resumes permanent presence in Arctic

“Two days earlier, the group of the Northern Fleet began fulfilling main tasks in Novosibirsk Islands,” Bakhin said

MOSCOW, September 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s Defence Ministry by having organised a campaign of the Northern Fleet’s group of warships led by the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser The Peter the Great to the Arctic regions of the Northern Sea Route, resumed Russia’s permanent military presence in the Arctic, First Deputy Defence Minister Arkady Bakhin told reporters on Saturday following a conference call with Minister Sergei Shoigu, which was devoted to the arrival of the group of Russian warships to the western shore of the Kotenly Island of the Archipelago of Novosibirsk Islands.

“Two days earlier, the group of the Northern Fleet began fulfilling main tasks in Novosibirsk Islands,” Bakhin said.

“We have come there, or rather returned forever, as that is native Russian land and the tasks the Northern Fleets are fulfilling now, make the first part of the tasks outlined by Russia’s president and defence minister to develop and improve the entire Northern Sea Rout and its neighbouring Arctic zones,” he said.

“The tasks are numerous, they are complicated and difficult, but we are sure to fulfil them, as we have everything for that, and first of all the trained specialists who will be involved there,” Bakhin said.

“Later on, the Northern Fleet will have to carry out similarly complicated tasks in the area of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya,” he added.

The first deputy defence minister said the Temp aerodrome in Novosibirsk Islands would be reconstructed and improved, and in October it would be able to serve Antonov-72 and Antonov-74 planes.

Russia’s defence minister has set a task to expand and extend the aerodrome’s runway to serve heavy planes. The planes like Antey and Ilushin-76 will help the Northern Fleet to increase the group of forces and means in the islands, Bakhin said.

“The aviation services will be regular, year-round and all-weather,” he said.

“We should restore fully the Polar aviation and its infrastructures,” Bakhin said. “I mean the bases on the mainland and on the islands.”

The plans include the strategic aviation and development of research and expeditions along the high-altitude track of the Northern Sea Route, he added.

Reporters asked what the Temp aerodrome would be like.

The first deputy defence minister replied saying: “We shall use modern technologies in its construction. The technologies will be used for the runway to be adjusted to the severe climate conditions in the Arctic. The materials to be used should remain effective in low temperature. That would be a permanently working aerodrome.”

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