MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russia does not plan to militarize the Arctic, its actions in the region are of a reserved but essential nature, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

“I will emphasize once again, we are not going to engage in the militarization of the Arctic. Our actions in the region are of a reserved nature reasonable in scale, but absolutely essential in order to ensure Russia’s defense capacity,” Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry’s board.

He said the establishment of military infrastructure on Novaya Zemlya, the Kotelny and Wrangel islands and Cape Shmidt is to be completed next year.

“I am asking you to constantly control these issues,” Putin told the Defense Ministry's top officials.