Speaking in a ministry meeting this week, Minister Sergey Shoigu confirmed that the question of creating the new patrol vessels is under elaboration and that a decision should be taken before 2014, RIA Novosti reports.
Shoigu also confirms that his ministry aims at the development of new port and airfield facilities in the Arctic, including in the Franz Josef Land. As previously reported, Russia has in 2013 invested in the reopening of a military base, as well as the local Temp airfield, at Kotelny, an island in the far northern New Siberian Islands.
The Defence Ministry sees the Arctic as a region of “utmost importance in terms of natural resources and strategic interests”. Speaking in this week`s meeting, Shoigu underlined that “Russia`s long-term economic development, its energy security and international competitiveness is directly linked with the developments in the Arctic”.
The defence minister added that the military buildup of capacities in the region is in line with the country`s Arctic Strategy.
