ST. PETERSBURG, December 9. /TASS/. NATO countries significantly stepped up their intelligence activities in the Arctic region with the help of jets and submarines, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev said.
"NATO countries have significantly stepped up their intelligence activities. Maritime patrol aircraft deployed at the Keflavik air base in Iceland, consisting of Canada’s Aurora jets, the US' Poseidon jets, and the UK's Poseidon jets, are operating constantly. They (the NATO countries - TASS) also plan to deploy up to two Phoenix-type ghost drones at the Pirkkala air base in Finland. The number of intelligence flights has increased by 37% over the past five years (from 220 to 380)," he said at the 12th 'Arctic: Present and Future' International Forum.
Moiseyev added that Western countries bordering the Arctic region are significantly accelerating the construction of icebreakers and ice-class ships, as well as focusing on modern, multifunctional drones for military and dual purposes. "These actions prove that Russia is forming military instruments of deterrence in the Arctic. However, I’d like to note that we are not moving closer to their borders; they are moving closer to ours," the naval defense official concluded.