Russia is increasing its military presence in the Arctic: what goals does the Kremlin pursue?

Russia has been aggressively expanding its military presence in the Arctic over the past decade, building bases and increasing its icebreaking fleet. Against this backdrop, analysts say, the United States has reduced its military infrastructure in the region.

This is reported by Business Insider .

According to the publication, melting sea ice opens up new shipping routes and access to oil, gas and other mineral deposits, which increases the strategic importance of the Arctic . In addition to Russia, China is also gradually increasing its presence in the region through investment, shipping and military cooperation.

Analysts say Russia has increased its military presence in the Arctic since the 2010s, including on the Kola Peninsula, where it has submarines, ports and airfields, and the Ushakovsky base on Wrangel Island, about 300 miles off the coast of Alaska.

In addition, Moscow continues to develop its icebreaking fleet. Since 2018, Russia has launched 8 new icebreakers, 4 of which are nuclear-powered. At the same time, the construction of the nuclear-powered icebreaker “Leader”, according to the publication, has been postponed until at least 2030 due to the war in Ukraine.

The article also notes that the US military presence in the Arctic has been significantly reduced. In Alaska, of the approximately 300 military facilities built during World War II, only Erickson Air Base remains, with an early warning radar and a coast guard unit. In Greenland, of the approximately 20 US military facilities, only Pittufik Air Base is operational, housing about 650 servicemen.

According to Business Insider, Russia has the world’s largest icebreaking fleet, with 42 vessels, including 13 heavy ones. The United States operates one heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, built in the 1970s. To develop its own capabilities, the United States has joined Canada and Finland in an icebreaker expansion program, and Davie Defense has invested $1 billion in upgrading two shipyards in Texas.

Experts cited by the publication believe that the strengthening of Russian military infrastructure in the Arctic creates not only economic but also security challenges for NATO countries and the United States, as Russia is deploying naval and missile forces in the region .

It was previously reported that the Kremlin may be preparing a provocation with a staged occupation and rapid withdrawal from the territory of Estonia in order to sow discord in the North Atlantic Alliance and weaken European faith in American support.

Meanwhile, the Commander-in-Chief of the Latvian Armed Forces, Kaspars Pudans, said that Russia may try to take advantage of the “window of opportunity” and is considering a scenario of potential actions against the Baltic states by the end of 2028, while Europe has not yet completed rearmament.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , X , Telegram , and Instagram.