ST. PETERBURG, July 26. /TASS/. Trajectories of ballistic missiles pass through the Northern Sea Route, where Russian submarines are also on duty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Trajectories of ballistic missiles run through the Northern Sea Route where our submarines are on duty. Other countries also seek to enter the area," he said at a meeting with servicemen of the Russian Navy.

"We have developed this region, and we will continue to develop it. It is very important from an economic standpoint," he added.

Russia’s armed forces are deployed to the Arctic region to safeguard the country’s interests and are threatening no one, Putin said.

"We have already developed a comprehensive program and will continue to do so, creating conditions for people to live and work there. This includes urban renewal and the creation of good living conditions in key cities of the Arctic region. It is a major undertaking. And, of course, the presence of our armed forces there, which pose no threat to anyone but safeguard the interests of the Fatherland, is a very important component of our work in the Arctic," he said at a meeting with Russian Navy servicemen.

Russia's wealth will grow through the Arctic, which is an extremely important region for the country, Russian President said.

"We have developed this region, and we will continue to develop it. It is extremely important from the standpoint of our economic interests. We all know Lomonosov's (the 18th-century Russian scientist - TASS) famous words that Russia's wealth would grow through Siberia, and now, without any exaggeration, we can say that Russia's wealth will grow through the Arctic. It is difficult even now to measure the Arctic's resources, and it is difficult to estimate their value in monetary terms," the president said.