MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Russia will continue developing its military infrastructure in the Arctic and on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s board meeting on Tuesday.
"It is important to say that the Northern Fleet is constantly practicing employing fighter aviation from the airfields of Arctic archipelagos. The military infrastructure continues to be developed on Arctic islands and the coastline of the Arctic Ocean," Shoigu said.
Russia is completing the construction of the Temp airfield on the New Siberian islands archipelago, the defense chief added.
"A cantonment is being built for the third air defense division in the settlement of Tiksi in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)," Shoigu noted.
The defense chief recalled that the construction of a runway 3,500 meters long had been completed at the Nagurskaya airfield on the Alexandra Land Island, which allows receiving all types of aircraft.
The defense minister also highly appreciated the results of the Northern Fleet’s Arctic expedition, in which three nuclear-powered submarines surfaced from under the ice in limited space for the first time in the Russian Navy’s history. As Shoigu said, the Fleet’s personnel demonstrated high professionalism in the Arctic deployment.
"The expedition involved over 600 military and civilian personnel and about 200 items of armament and military hardware. Military transport aircraft performed over 66 flights for its provision," the defense chief said.
The Russian Northern Fleet traditionally pays great attention to scientific research, Shoigu pointed out.
"Jointly with the Russian Geographical Society, objects were surveyed on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and in the waters of the Northern Sea Route last year. As a result, over 120 exhibits of historical significance were found. They will be transferred to leading Russian museums. This year, we will continue this work," the defense minister said.