Russia is continuing to expand its presence in the arctic despite military defeats in Ukraine, CNN reported on Wednesday based on a series of satellite images.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN that there is "a significant Russian military build-up in the high north," with recent tensions making the alliance "double its presence" in the region.
The images show military enforcement and expansion of an area that analysts believe are key to Russia.
The Arctic is important for the oil and gas sector but in terms of Russian defensive measures, there are many nuclear and submarine operations in the region.
In terms of transport, the Arctic is a vital route for Russia as melting ice caps are creating new shipping routes from Asia to Europe, thanks to a shorter journey along Russia's coast. China too has unveiled plans for a 'Polar Silk Road' across the Arctic.
Russia has continued expanding its military bases in the Arctic region despite significant losses in its war on Ukraine, according to a new series of satellite images obtained by CNN https://t.co/N1uG3Uwbx9
— CNN (@CNN) December 21, 2022
"The shortest way from Russia to North America is over the Arctic North Pole. So the strategic importance of these areas has not changed because of the war in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
"We see Russia reopening old Soviet bases, military sites," he added, pointing out that they are "testing novel weapons in the Arctic and the high north."
Neutral territory?
Many analysts believe that "the Arctic is still some distance from the brink of military conflict," according to the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).
However, DIIS added that "all relevant actors need to act with care to avoid a deterioration of the situation." Russia's increased Arctic presence appears to focus on military gear, not personnel, one Western senior intelligence official told CNN.
"They’re down to somewhere between 20 and 25% of their original land forces up there. But then the naval component is totally untouched by the war," they stressed.
Yet decreasing tensions in the Arctic in the near future appear unlikely because once Finland and Sweden join NATO, seven out of eight Arctic countries will be members of the military alliance.
