The military analyst spoke about the advantages of the Russian Federation in the Arctic

The interest of states in dominating the Arctic is growing due to the fact that the region has great potential for developing hydrocarbon reserves. Igor Korotchenko, a military analyst and editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, said in an interview with Izvestia on March 7 that Russia has a number of advantages over other states in terms of its presence in the Arctic region.

The day before, Canadian Minister of National Defense Bill Blair announced that the government was going to increase its military presence in the Arctic region. It is specified that Canada will invest $2.67 billion over 20 years to create a network of runways, logistics facilities and equipment, which will allow the armed forces to better defend the country's sovereignty.

Commenting on this, Korotchenko noted that now all Western countries with interests in the Arctic or access to the Arctic Ocean basin have significantly increased their military budgets and military preparations for dominance in the region.

"The interest in the Arctic is huge. Moreover, the new administration of [US President Donald] Trump stated at the level of doctrinal documents that it is in the Arctic that the confrontation of the world powers will continue to focus. It is no coincidence that Trump is raising the issue of bringing Greenland under his control, under the control of the United States, as well as the need for Canada to join the United States," the source added.

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However, he stressed, Russia has certain advantages in the Arctic issue. Firstly, it is the nuclear icebreaking fleet — in this regard, the Russian Federation is ahead of other states, including the United States. In addition, the development of the Arctic is a priority in the activities of the Russian Maritime Board. Moscow has an understanding of what and how to do in the region to protect Russian geopolitical and economic interests.

"Potential is critically important for Russia. Actually, the development of the entire infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route, key facilities, ports, and their air cover, since traditional combat formats are impossible in the Arctic," the expert noted.

He also stressed that Russia has developed samples of air defense systems adapted for use in the Arctic — for ultra-low temperatures, off-road. For example, these are the Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft missile systems. Among other things, Korotchenko said, the grouping of forces and assets of the Russian Northern Fleet is being actively built and strengthened.: new multipurpose class submarines, as well as military icebreakers.

Earlier, on February 26, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said that Moscow believes that the Arctic should become a conflict-free zone. According to the Ambassador, the challenges for Russia in the Arctic remain unchanged. He also added that the Russian side is taking the necessary measures to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation and sovereignty in high latitudes.