Arctic - latest news. How much is the Russian Arctic worth? Canada in general is one of those countries that historically does not have its own opinion and in every possible way agrees with its ambitious neighboring brothers. In addition, the Canadian-Danish territorial agreement has not been exhausted
In the VKontakte group NORDAVIA - Regional Airlines posted a message: Quote:
Most people took it as an April Fool's joke. Yes, maybe the group administrators themselves created this message as banter. Although, someone believed it, deciding that flights were planned all the way to the North Pole itself. But that's not the point. It turns out that people don’t know that there really are flights to the Arctic? After all, what is included in the Arctic region of Russia: The Arctic zone of Russia is a part of the Arctic that is under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. The Arctic zone of Russia includes such territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation as the Kola, Lovozersky, Pechenga regions, the closed administrative-territorial formations of Zaozersk, Ostrovnoy, Skalisty, Snezhnogorsk, the cities of. Polyarny and Severomorsk Murmansk region, Murmansk; Belomorsky district of the Republic of Karelia, Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Mezensky, Leshukonsky, Onega, Pinezhsky, Primorsky, Solovetsky districts, Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk; Vorkuta, Komi Republic; Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug; Norilsk Krasnoyarsk Territory; Allaikhovsky, Abyisky, Bulunsky, Verkhnekolymsky, Nizhnekolymsky, Oleneksky, Ust-Yansky, Gorny uluses of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Chukotka Autonomous Okrug; Olyutorsky district of Koryak Autonomous Okrug. Okay, Vorkuta, Naryan-Mar... But for example, to Amderma, Tiksi, Anadyr - passenger planes fly only this way, and this is the Arctic, without any kind there. Don't people know about this? Or considers it only the Arctic North Pole, and the Polar Region with Wrangel, Taimyr and Novaya Zemlya? Or maybe we need to directly create “tourist products” and announce “here’s your opportunity to fly to the Arctic” so that people get the message?New flight: Murmansk - Arctic - Arkhangelsk. Currently, tour operators and government officials are actively discussing the issue of developing Arctic tourism. In particular, a completely new route is being discussed - tourists arrive in Murmansk, from where they go to the vastness of the Russian Arctic, and end the trip in Arkhangelsk. We believe that this area of tourism is very promising, and therefore we carried out a set of works to study the capabilities of the Boeing 737 aircraft in terms of landing on Arctic ice. There is successful experience of similar operation of aircraft of this type in the world, on the basis of which we decided on the possibility of such flights. The North is perhaps the most underrated region by tourists. It is full of majestic beauty, tranquility and grace. At the same time, its effective development has always been associated with aviation, and its modern development made flights over the Arctic as comfortable and safe as in other parts of our planet. In the near future, we will complete all approvals with tour operators, and the new product will be offered to potential consumers. Experience all the beauty of the North with us!
Recently, Russia has been actively restoring the civilian and military infrastructure that previously existed in the Arctic and building new military, transport and logistics facilities in the region. A full-fledged army group of forces and means is being created in the Arctic, which will reliably cover Russia from this direction, and will also ensure the upholding and protection of national interests in this very important region for the country. The two main resources of the Arctic are rich natural resources and transport communications. According to scientists’ forecasts, perhaps already in the middle of the 21st century in summer period The Arctic Ocean will be completely free of ice, which will only increase its transport accessibility and importance.
The importance of the Arctic is great; according to forecasts, up to a quarter of all potential oil and gas reserves in the world are located on the Arctic shelf. These two types of fossil fuels are still the most in demand on the planet. It is estimated that the Arctic contains 90 billion barrels of oil and 47 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. In addition to fossil fuels, there are deposits of gold, diamonds and nickel. Undiscovered hydrocarbon reserves located in potentially Russian waters are currently estimated by scientists at approximately 9-10 billion tons of fuel equivalent. Hence the desire of all Arctic countries to expand the zones of their continental shelves.
The Russian sector of the Arctic is located today not only in the Arctic Ocean, but also in the Barents and Okhotsk Seas. Currently, the Arctic already provides about 11% of national income Russian Federation, as well as 22% of the total volume of all-Russian exports. The region produces 90% of Russian nickel and cobalt, 96% of platinum group metals, 100% of barite and apatite concentrate, and 60% of copper. In addition, the local fishery complex produces about 15% of the total volume of fish products in Russia. Today, it is the Russian Federation that has the largest reserves of natural gas on the planet and ranks 8th in the ranking of states in terms of oil reserves. At the same time, Russia is the largest gas exporter and the second largest oil exporter in the world. Today our country provides about 30% of all world gas production, and under Russian ice there is more oil than in the OPEC countries combined. This is why protecting Russia’s economic interests in the Arctic region is so important.
The fundamentals of Russia's state policy in the Arctic for the period until 2020 and beyond were approved back in September 2008 at a meeting of the country's Security Council. The use of Arctic resources is the key to the energy security of the Russian Federation, and at the same time the thesis was outlined that the Arctic should become the resource base of Russia in the 21st century. To achieve this, it is vitally important to ensure reliable protection of national interests on the continental shelf.
Today, work in the Russian Arctic is carried out at almost all major points in the ocean - the Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya archipelagos, on the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island, as well as on the mainland - from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka. In total, as part of the ongoing program to restore Russia’s military presence in the Arctic, it is planned to rebuild or reconstruct about 20 groups of objects for various purposes, which will form the framework of the military infrastructure in this remote region of the country.
Key Feature The military construction that is being carried out today in the Arctic is the concentration of control of all forces in the region in one hand. Since December 1, 2014, the joint strategic command “North” has been operating in the Russian Federation. We can say that in fact “North” is the fifth Russian military district, which unites under its command all ground, sea and air forces in the Russian Arctic, as well as adjacent regions. The United Strategic Command “North” was created on the basis of the headquarters and infrastructure of the Russian Northern Navy. This immediately sets a different management format and approaches to solving problems: for the first time in Russia, the basis of strategic command in this region was the fleet headquarters, which must solve the problems of controlling various troops located on a vast territory.
Arctic Trefoil- Russian military base on the island of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago
This theater of military operations is characterized by large distances. Therefore, the decisive advantage in possible disputes for the region will be that side that can quickly ensure a powerful military presence in important points of the Arctic. For these purposes, the region must have a developed transport and logistics network of naval bases and military airfields capable of receiving aircraft of all types, including heavy transport and strategic bombers. That is why a significant part of the exercises of the Russian Armed Forces over the past 10 years has been devoted to the ability to quickly transfer forces by air and sea. The significance of this aspect cannot be underestimated, since absolutely all plans for recreating the Arctic grouping of troops in the Arctic and the overwhelming share of Russia’s military activity in the region are designed for the widespread use of the transport capabilities of the Air Force and Navy, without which any effective activity in this region seems unthinkable.
First of all, the emphasis is on recreating an infrastructure that, if necessary, allows for the movement of troops by air and sea and does not require the presence of numerous personnel for security and daily maintenance. No less important aspect is the awareness of the leadership of the Arctic group about what is happening. This also determines the direction of today’s construction: almost half of the facilities being built in the interests of the Russian armed forces in the Arctic are radar stations, which should, in combination with ships, flying radars and space reconnaissance equipment, restore a continuous zone of control over the Russian Arctic.
As Vice Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, commander of the Russian Northern Fleet, said in early November 2017, the combat capabilities of the forces and assets deployed on the Arctic islands will be increased, including air defense systems. According to the admiral, a system for monitoring the surface and underwater situation along the NSR - Northern Sea Route routes is being created in the Arctic today. Work is underway to create a zone of complete control airspace over the Russian area of responsibility. Also, according to Nikolai Evmenov, each Arctic island on which there are Northern Fleet bases is equipped with all-season airfields that will be able to host aircraft of various types.
New anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Northern Fleet (Novaya Zemlya archipelago), photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
The air defense capabilities of the Arctic group of forces will be strengthened next year by a new air defense division. It will appear in the Arctic in 2018, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The new connection will be focused on protecting Moscow and the Urals from possible attacks from the North Pole. The air defense regiments deployed here will be focused on detecting and destroying aircraft, cruise missiles and even unmanned aircraft. aircraft probable enemy. Experts note that the new division will in the future become the most important component of the country’s air defense system, covering the territory from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka. The Izvestia newspaper, with reference to the Russian Aerospace Forces, reports that regular activities will begin in 2018, since the fundamental decision to form a new air defense division has already been made. It is reported that the formation will include not only newly formed units, but also units already on combat duty in the Russian Arctic.
Currently, the skies of the Arctic are protected by soldiers of the 1st Air Defense Division. It reliably covers the Kola Peninsula, Arkhangelsk region, Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the White Sea. This division recently included a regiment stationed on Novaya Zemlya. The 1st Air Defense Division is armed with the most modern types of weapons, including the S-400 Triumph air defense system, the S-300 Favorit air defense system and the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun systems.
According to military historian Dmitry Boltenkov, the new air defense division created in the Arctic will take control of the northern direction (from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka), providing reliable protection for the Central Economic Region of the Russian Federation (including Moscow), as well as the Urals and its industrial centers. At the same time, the already existing 1st Air Defense Division will focus mainly on the defense of the Kola Peninsula and the Northern Fleet bases located in this area. According to the expert, there is nothing special to cover with anti-aircraft missile regiments from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka, but it is necessary to create a continuous radar field. In his opinion, the new air defense division will receive a large number of radar stations, which will be located at the newly created Arctic outposts, perhaps even on Kotelny Island and Temp airfield.
Tiksi airfield
It is worth noting that 10 military airfields in the Arctic, the construction program of which began 3 years ago, are already ready for combat use, reports the Zvezda TV channel. No one has ever carried out such a volume of work in such a short time in permafrost conditions and the Far North, the channel’s journalists emphasize. Thanks to this, Russia is gradually providing its northern borders with reliable protection from the air, sea and land.
According to information from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Spetsstroy of Russia is currently completing work on the reconstruction and construction of 10 airfields located in the Arctic zone, among them Severomorsk-1, an airfield on the island of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago), which in the future will be able to receive and heavy aircraft - Il-78, Tiksi (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)), Rogachevo ( Arhangelsk region), Temp (Kotelny Island). Work is also underway to reconstruct the airfields of Severomorsk-3 (Murmansk region), Vorkuta (Komi Republic), Naryan-Mar (Arkhangelsk region), Alykel (Krasnoyarsk Territory) and Anadyr (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug).
The main air force bases are located at Cape Schmidt, Wrangel Island, Kotelny Island, the Franz Josef Land archipelago, as well as in the Murmansk region. These airfields will be able to provide takeoff and landing of heavy transport aircraft and MiG-31 fighter-interceptors, which are able to effectively destroy not only enemy aircraft, but also missiles of various classes, including ballistic ones. It is reported that the Arctic airfields will be all-season and will be able to accommodate different types of Russian Air Force aircraft.
According to Air Force expert Alexander Drobyshevsky, it is very important for fighter aircraft to develop an airfield network on the ground in order to quickly fly out to intercept the enemy. Even during the Second World War, the practice of “jump airfields” was widely used, when field airfields could be located closer to the front line. In the Russian Arctic, with distances of many thousands, it is also important to be able to fly out to intercept the enemy from a closer point. For example, do not waste time flying from Novosibirsk, but take to the skies directly from the Arctic Ocean.
Such jump airfields in the Arctic are also very beneficial for strategic aviation. They were used for these purposes in the USSR; the Americans also had their own jump airfields in the Arctic in the 1970-90s. There is no point in strategic aviation being based in the North on a permanent basis, but if necessary, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers can disperse to all military airfields, including suitable Arctic ones, which at least increases their combat survivability. At the same time, strategic aviation gets the opportunity to completely calmly carry out combat sorties to the United States with the possibility of returning back to northern airfields, fortunately the distances allow. The airfields being built in the Arctic will allow the Air Force not only to completely take control of the Arctic sky within Russian borders, but also to quickly solve any problems in this part of the continent.
Information sources:
https://tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/content/201711050946-uwfj.htm
https://svpressa.ru/all/article/29527
https://iz.ru/news/666014
https://lenta.ru/articles/2016/04/20/arctic
Open source materials
December 30, 2019, Arctic activities The infrastructure development plan for the Northern Sea Route until 2035 has been approved Order No. 3120-r dated December 21, 2019. Decisions made are aimed at creating infrastructure conditions for the further development of the Northern Sea Route and coastal areas.
December 18, 2019, Arctic activities On the agenda: creating a system of preferences for new projects implemented in the Arctic zone of Russia; Northern Sea Route infrastructure development plan; preparations for Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023.
September 3, 2019, Natural resource management. Subsoil use On the decisions following a meeting with Dmitry Kozak and Yuri Trutnev on granting the right to use subsoil containing hydrocarbon reserves located on the continental shelf of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation
April 29, 2019 On the investment project for the construction of a marine transshipment complex for liquefied natural gas in the Murmansk region Order No. 834-r dated April 26, 2019. The implementation plan for the investment project “Offshore transshipment complex of liquefied natural gas in the Murmansk region” was approved. The investment project includes the construction of two floating gas storage facilities, an auxiliary berth and the necessary onshore infrastructure. The preliminary estimate of the cost of implementing the investment project is 70 billion rubles. The implementation period is 2023.
April 25, 2019, Arctic activities Anton Siluanov took part in the “One Belt, One Road” forum in Beijing The First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Finance spoke at a panel session within the forum.
April 10, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev chaired a meeting of the Presidium of the State Commission for Arctic Development The meeting took place in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum.
April 10, 2019, Arctic activities Maxim Akimov made a working trip to St. Petersburg On April 9, the Deputy Prime Minister took part in the session “The Northern Sea Route – the key to the development of the Russian Arctic” as part of the International Arctic Forum and visited the head office of Sovcomflot.
April 9, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev inspected the exhibition of the International Arctic Forum The V International Arctic Forum takes place on April 9–10 in St. Petersburg.
April 1, 2019, Inland water transport and maritime activities About the expansion of the Sabetta seaport Order of March 28, 2019 No. 554-r. A decision was made aimed at implementing a new investment project for the construction of an LNG transshipment terminal in the seaport of Sabetta. The terminal is needed for the development of the Salmanovskoye (Utrenneye) oil and gas condensate field on the Gydan Peninsula.
March 20, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev launched the Transarctic 2019 scientific expedition The expeditionary activities of the Transarctic 2019 program are divided into 4 stages and will end at the end of September 2019 in the port of Vladivostok. The first stage of the expedition will take place from March 20 to the end of May. On the basis of the scientific expedition vessel “Akademik Treshnikov” of the AARI Roshydromet, a seasonal drifting research station “North Pole-2019” will be organized.
March 20, 2019, Gas production, transportation, export. LNG industry. Gasification On the investment project for the construction of a marine transshipment complex for liquefied natural gas in the Kamchatka Territory Order of March 14, 2019 No. 436-r. A comprehensive plan for the implementation of the investment project “Offshore transshipment complex of liquefied natural gas in the Kamchatka Territory” was approved. The implementation of the project will increase the volume of transportation along the Northern Sea Route from 9.7 million tons in 2017 to 31.4 million tons by the end of 2026, ensure the transition of the Northern Sea Route to year-round loading, create the largest regional LNG hub in the region, attract about 70 billion rubles of private investment, create new jobs.
About allocations for scientific research "Transarctic-2019" Order No. 276-r dated February 23, 2019. 868.75 million rubles are allocated from the Government reserve fund for organizing and conducting comprehensive scientific research and state monitoring of condition and pollution environment Arctic using four research and scientific expedition vessels of Roshydromet. Transarctic 2019 research is carried out in the context of restoring comprehensive scientific research in the Arctic region, including the high-latitude Arctic. The purpose of the research is to improve the system of hydrometeorological safety of Russian maritime activities in the Arctic to realize the scientific and practical interests of the state.January 29, 2019, Tuesday Order No. 22-r dated January 17, 2019. Based on the results of the auction, the right to use the Yuzhno-Ob subsoil plot of federal significance, located in the waters of the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea, for geological study, exploration and production of hydrocarbons under a combined license was granted to Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC.
1The criteria for selecting investment projects for implementation in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, which will be co-financed from federal budget. To participate, businesses must invest at least 250 million rubles.
Yuri Trutnev instructed the Far East and Arctic Development Fund to implement a project to help the Far Eastern regions to prevent and minimize the spread of coronavirus
On behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister - Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, Development Fund Far East and the Arctic (FRDV) has begun implementing a project to assist the Far Eastern regions in preventing and minimizing
Russian Government 1 day ago 0The Ministry of Eastern Development and the Federal Agency for Tourism are preparing measures to develop tourism in the Arctic
The Ministry of Eastern Development and the Federal Agency for Tourism discussed directions for the development of tourism in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Departments agree, together with the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to determine priority areas of work
Rostourism 1 day ago 3Islands and capes in the Arctic were proposed to be named after veteran hydrographers of the Northern Fleet
It was proposed to name five capes on Novaya Zemlya the names of Lev Vladimirsky, Fyodor Afanasenkov, Boris Bulanov, Vasily Mamontov and Ivan Moroz, and three islands - the names of Vsevolod Bukhmeyrer, Valentin Kuznetsov and Igor Osokin
TASS 1 day ago 0Experts believe that rotational development of the Arctic is the most effective
According to the head of the representative office of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in St. Petersburg, Alexander Palagin, the modernization of the existing infrastructure in the Arctic must be supported so that people feel comfortable staying there
TASS 2 days ago 1A strong quality of the current Russian government is attention to articles about its work. It seems his leadership is being checked to avoid making irreversible mistakes. Because an irreversible mistake is forever. When accumulated, they transform into outstanding performance
The urban environmental project The future belongs to the Arctic was carried out from 02/10/2020 to 03/18/2020 by the education committee of the Murmansk administration together with the MBU DO Pervomaisky DDT in accordance with the work plan of the education committee for
The share of Arctic oil in Gazprom Neft’s overall portfolio exceeded 30%, the company reported. At the Novoportovskoye field, the production of liquid hydrocarbons increased by 8% to 7.7 million tons. The volume of oil production at the East Messoyakhskoye field, which Gazprom
Finam.RU 3 days ago 2By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Nikolai Evmenov, the director of the branch was awarded a departmental award of the Ministry of Defense for special merits and enormous contribution to strengthening the technical power and combat readiness of the ships of the Northern Fleet
Russian Platinum notified Norilsk Nickel of its decision to terminate negotiations on the creation of a joint venture Arctic Palladium and independently begin development of the Chernogorskoye deposit and the southern part of the Norilsk-1 deposit. The reason for the decision is the lack of
Finam.RU 5 days ago 1Norilsk Nickel has received notification from Russian Platinum LLC of the decision to terminate negotiations on the creation of the Arctic Palladium joint venture, Norilsk Nickel reported. Russian Platinum will independently implement a project to develop the Chernog deposits
Finam.RU 7 days ago 0Experts: attracting construction teams to the Arctic is hampered by the lack of a unified register of objects
Also, according to experts, it is necessary to provide for financing the costs of transporting students to construction sites and provide them with guarantees of further employment
TASS 7 days ago 0Group of Karelsky scientists scientific center The Russian Academy of Sciences has summed up the preliminary results of the first stage of studying children's sleep in the northern territories. It turned out that the indigenous population has a number of genes that allow them to more easily adapt to changes in the duration of light
In the Murmansk region, in accordance with the decision of the Interdepartmental Operational Headquarters on the issue of epidemiological safety of the population of the region under the leadership of the Governor of the Murmansk region, a ban on events with
According to Interfax, yesterday, March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on tax incentives for oil and gas projects in the Arctic. For offshore production, the mineral extraction tax rate is set at 5% for oil and 1% for gas for the next 15 years of production
Finam.RU 9 days ago 2New preferences should stimulate hydrocarbon production on the shelf and in the Arctic, the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the development of gas chemistry, as well as the development of new oil and gas provinces
Russia is recognized as the most powerful player in the Arctic
The Russian Federation is considered the most powerful player in the Arctic region. Despite all the attempts of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, it is the Russian military polar explorers who are the main specialist “colonizers” in high latitudes. https://novoro
News agency Novorossiya 10 days ago 1The Ministry of Eastern Development expects that mineral extraction tax benefits for the Arctic will be approved within a week
According to the documents, an entrepreneur registered in the Arctic who is ready to implement a new project and invest at least 10 million rubles will be able to obtain resident status, which includes benefits
TASS 10 days ago 2At the end of last month, the press service of the Security Council of the Russian Federation issued a message focusing on the fact that the “Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the Period until 2020,” posted on the official website of the Russian Security Council, do not imply militarization of the region. “The issue of militarization of the Arctic does not arise,” the message noted. - The emphasis is on creating an actively functioning system coast guard, accelerated development of the border infrastructure of the Arctic zone of Russia, forces and means of border agencies, as well as maintaining the necessary grouping of general purpose troops of the Russian Armed Forces.” As follows from the text of the message, “one of the main goals of this work is to increase the efficiency of interaction with the border agencies of neighboring states on issues of combating terrorism at sea, suppressing smuggling activities, illegal migration, and protecting aquatic biological resources.”
The ATTENTION that is paid today in the field of military security and protection of the State Border of the Russian Federation to the Arctic zone is not accidental. It is due to the role that the Arctic is acquiring in world politics. We are talking primarily about large reserves of oil and natural gas on the ocean shelf, as well as control over new transport routes that will become available as processes continue global warming climate.
Geologists of all Arctic countries agree that the hydrocarbon reserves in the Arctic zone will be enough for the economies of the leading Western countries for many years. Thus, according to the results of research by the US Geological Survey, northern latitudes may contain 90 billion barrels of oil (over 12 billion tons). This is enough to meet the needs of the US economy for 12 years. In addition, the Arctic also has huge reserves of natural gas, which scientists estimate at 47.3 trillion. cubic meters Russian experts believe that these estimates even somewhat underestimate the true hydrocarbon reserves on the Arctic Ocean shelf. The Arctic, in their opinion, in terms of potential resources is five times richer than the Pacific Ocean and 1.5-2 times richer than the Atlantic and Indian.
According to US geologists, among the Arctic sectors, the largest total reserves are in the West Siberian Basin - 3.6 billion barrels of oil, 18.4 trillion. cubic meters of gas and 20 billion barrels of gas condensate. It is followed by the Arctic shelf of Alaska (29 billion barrels of oil, 6.1 trillion cubic meters of gas and 5 billion barrels of gas condensate) and the eastern part of the Barents Sea (7.4 billion barrels of oil, 8.97 trillion cubic meters of gas and 1 .4 billion barrels of gas condensate).
Naturally, the question arises of who should manage these resources. Five Arctic states can lay claim to the subsoil of the Arctic - Denmark, Norway, the USA, Canada and Russia, which has the largest hydrocarbon reserves among the Arctic countries (according to American estimates, the areas that the Russian Federation already owns or claims account for about 60 percent of the total reserves ).
And it is not surprising that Russia was the first to attend to the legal formalization of its rights to the seabed. Back in 2001, Moscow submitted an application for its part, including the Lomonosov Ridge. But UN officials have demanded more conclusive data about the geology of the seabed. In 2007, Russian scientists conducted additional research using deep-sea bathyscaphes and planted a Russian flag made of titanium alloy on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean near the pole. This was a purely symbolic action, which nevertheless caused an extremely painful reaction in the West.
Meanwhile, according to the director of the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems Anatoly Dmitrievsky, “back in the 20s of the last century, the union of eight Arctic states recognized that the wedge from the edge of the Russian border to the North Pole belongs to our country. According to modern data from our scientists, this entire territory is truly a continuation of our continental structures, and therefore the Russian Federation may well lay claim to the development of the oil reserves of this region.”
Last May, Ilulissat (Greenland) hosted international Conference on Arctic problems. It was attended by representatives of five countries of the Arctic basin (Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov). The results of the meeting showed that there is no basis yet for the hysteria whipped up by some Western media and predictions of the inevitability of military clashes. The conference participants signed a declaration in which the parties expressed their desire to resolve all controversial issues at the negotiating table in strict accordance with international laws.
“The Five Nations have declared,” said Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller, “that they will act in strict accordance with the laws. I hope we have once and for all destroyed the myths regarding the fierce struggle that unfolded for the North Pole.” Sergei Lavrov adhered to a similar point of view: “We do not share the alarming forecasts regarding the upcoming clash of interests of the Arctic states, almost a future “battle for the Arctic”, in the context of warming, facilitating access to more expensive natural resources and transport routes."
Indeed, there is no reason for the excitement in the division of Arctic resources. Already today there are international rules that make it possible to determine who has rights to which area. In general, the contours of the future section are clear. Last year, researchers from the University of Durham (UK) have already compiled a map that shows areas where the claims of the Arctic countries are undeniable, and those for which lawyers will fight. In addition, the map shows two separate areas called “zones” - they lie outside the waters claimed by individual states and will be used in the interests of all countries. The main debate will unfold based on the conclusions of geologists regarding the structure of the continental shelf and the identity of the Lomonosov Ridge.
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Before World War II, any state with access to the sea had sovereign rights to the water along its coastline. Then it was measured by the range of the cannonball, but over time its width became 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers). In 1982, 119 countries signed the International Convention on the Law of the Sea (entered into force in 1994). The US Congress has not yet ratified it, expressing concerns about a possible “infringement” of sovereignty and national interests. According to the convention, there is the concept of territorial waters. This is a water belt up to 12 nautical miles wide adjacent to the land territory of the state. The outer boundary of this sea (ocean) belt is the state border. Coastal states also have the right to an exclusive economic zone, which is located outside the territorial waters and its width should not exceed 200 nautical miles (370 km). In such zones, states have limited sovereignty: they have exclusive rights to fishing and mining, but they are prohibited from obstructing the passage of ships of other countries.THE CONVENTION on the Law of the Sea (Article 76) provides for the possibility of extending the exclusive economic zone beyond 200 miles if a state proves that the ocean floor is a natural continuation of its land territory. With this article of the convention in mind, today scientists from three countries - Russia, Denmark and Canada - are trying to collect geological evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge - an underwater mountain range stretching 1,800 km from Siberia through the North Pole to Greenland - belongs to their country. Russian geologists claim, citing analysis of samples taken from the ocean floor, that the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to the Siberian continental platform (which means it is a “continuation” of Russia). The Danes, in turn, believe that the ridge is connected with Greenland. Canadians talk about the Lomonosov Ridge as an underwater continental part of North America.
Canadian and Danish scientists launched a joint research mission last month to determine the boundaries of the North American continental shelf. They gathered in a camp on Ward Hunt Island, the extreme northern point of Canada, where the expedition started. From this island, one group of scientists flies in a helicopter equipped with an echolocator. The second group, on a specially equipped DC-3 aircraft with a range of about 800 kilometers, will carry out gravimetric measurements in the Arctic territory, including at the North Pole (gravimetry is the measurement of the slightest fluctuations in gravity to obtain information about the density of rocks at different points on the surface and their geological properties - A.D.).
Using this method, Canadian and Danish scientists want to provide evidence that the North American continental platform, including the northern Canadian islands and Greenland (an autonomous province of Denmark), extends far into the center of the Arctic Ocean. This will mean that the continuation of the North American continental platform is the underwater Lomonosov Ridge and the parallel Alpha Ridge, which turns into the Mendeleev Ridge in the east.
It should be noted that in international law There have been precedents for extending rights to the continental shelf beyond the boundaries of the 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has already legitimized Australia's claims to 2.5 million square kilometers of the Antarctic shelf, and Ireland received 56 thousand square kilometers of shelf in the Arctic latitudes.
Of course, one must rely on the fairness of the decision of the UN Commission regarding the dispute over the Arctic territories (Lomonosov Ridge, etc.) taking into account the fact that all decisions in the world community are made with an eye on the relationship between the military and economic potentials of the parties. One might even say that international law is partly the “will of the strong” elevated to law. The framework of the world structure of the current international relations was determined by the victorious powers in World War II with the decisive role of the United States, which then became incredibly stronger in world politics. Experience modern history It also teaches that the United States “forgets” about international law and the UN when it fails to pass the decisions it needs through the UN Security Council. This was the case during military operation against Yugoslavia in 1999 and against Iraq in 2003.
THEREFORE, the Russian Federation’s concern for its military capabilities to ensure its state interests in the Arctic zone is completely justified, especially since the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway are striving to pursue a coordinated policy to prevent Russia from accessing the resources of the Arctic shelf. “The Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the Period until 2020,” approved on September 18, 2008 by the President of the Russian Federation, provides for “the creation of a group of general purpose troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies, primarily border agencies, in the Arctic zone Russian Federation, capable of ensuring military security in different conditions military-political situation."
The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is the country's strategic resource base for solving the problems of socio-economic development. Its protection requires the presence of an actively functioning coast guard system of the FSB of the Russian Federation. Russia's Arctic strategy proposes to develop border infrastructure and technically re-equip border authorities to create a system of comprehensive control over the surface situation and strengthen state control over fishing activities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. For border guards, in particular, new ice-class ships with helicopters on board are needed.
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Russia considers its 18 percent of the Arctic territory with a border length of 20 thousand kilometers. Its continental shelf may contain about a quarter of all offshore hydrocarbon reserves in the world. Currently, 22 percent of all Russian exports are produced in the Arctic region. The largest oil and gas regions are located here - West Siberian, Timan-Pechora and East Siberian. Mining of rare and precious metals is developed in the Arctic regions. The region produces about 90 percent of nickel and cobalt, 60 percent of copper, and 96 percent of platinum group metals.The presence of ships of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy in the Arctic regions, including in the Spitsbergen area, flights of combat aircraft over the Arctic Ocean Long-Range Aviation In the current conditions, they serve as instruments for ensuring the national interests of the Russian Federation. This is also due to the increasing military activity in the Arctic of other circumpolar states. Navy Russia is also actively involved in civilian programs for studying the World Ocean and determining the boundaries of the Russian continental shelf in the Arctic. When a significant part of the Arctic is covered with ice, it is primarily deep-sea vehicles that can operate effectively. For this purpose, it is possible to use both remote-controlled vehicles with a large diving depth and submarines.
AMONG the national interests of Russia is the use of the Northern Sea Route as a national unified transport communication of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. The Northern Sea Route (sometimes called the Northeast Passage, by analogy with the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) is capable of linking together European and Far Eastern shipping routes. Now the length of the route between Europe and Asia (Rotterdam - Tokyo) along the Suez Canal is 21.1 thousand kilometers. The Northwest Passage reduces this route to 15.9 thousand km, the Northern Sea Route - to 14.1 thousand km.
It is estimated that the passage of ships along the Russian Northern Sea Route (NSR) can reduce cargo delivery time by 40 percent compared to traditional routes. There are forecasts according to which by 2015 the total volume of transportation along the NSR could actually increase to 15 million tons per year (currently more than 2 million tons of cargo are transported along the Northern Sea Route, but three times more is required for self-sufficiency and development of the route).
With the improvement of navigation conditions (according to forecasts, by 2020, up to 6 months a year), considerable dangers are also associated. The Northern Sea Route falls into the globalist “agenda”. Transnational corporations and the financial circles behind them are tempted to internationalize this “corridor” along the Arctic coast of Russia under the plausible pretext of its modernization and ensuring the safety of navigation (there is a reason: old mines, pirates, ice danger, etc.). It must be frankly admitted that after the collapse of the USSR, little was done to maintain the infrastructure of this sea route in normal condition. Many port facilities are abandoned, navigation and rescue services have degraded, and human resources have been lost. All this is a pretext for a tough conversation with Russia if it weakens in the context of the global financial crisis. It cannot be ruled out that the West will try to turn the Northern Sea Route, which runs near the richest oil and natural gas deposits, into an international maritime route, removing it from the jurisdiction of Russia...
“Fundamentals of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the period until 2020” timely formulate Russia’s Arctic strategy, which will have to be implemented in the coming years, unfortunately, in complicated financial and economic conditions. The development of the Arctic is objectively one of the vital priorities of the Russian state.
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