SEVASTOPOL, October 7. /TASS/. A new division of the Russian Navy, the Arctic Fleet, may be created to ensure the Northern Sea Route's safety, a source in the Navy told TASS on Thursday.

"The Russian Arctic Fleet, a new structure, is under consideration. It will be a separate formation within the Navy, and its responsibility will be to ensure the safety of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic coast in the area of responsibility of the Northern and Pacific fleets," the source said.

According to the source, the creation of this fleet will allow the Northern and Pacific fleets to focus on solving combat missions. "The plan is that the infrastructure of the new association will be separate from the Northern and Pacific fleets. In the future, it will have ships and special equipment suitable for the Arctic," the agency's source said.

TASS did not receive any official information on the fleet creation.

The Navy is a branch of the Russian Armed Forces and consists of operational and strategic formations: the Baltic, Pacific, Black Sea fleets and the Caspian flotilla. There are separate branches of the Russian Navy which are naval aviation, marines and coastal missile and artillery troops.