Russia conducts military exercises in the Arctic Ocean


September 16 (Reuters) – Russia practiced firing cruise missiles into the Arctic Ocean from nuclear-powered submarines on Friday, as part of military maneuvers meant to test its preparedness for a possible conflict in its northern waters, the Ministry of Defense said.

The drills, dubbed Umka-2022, took place in the Chukchi Sea, an eastern part of the Arctic Ocean that separates Russia from the US state of Alaska.

Russia views its vast Arctic territory as a vital strategic interest and has been building up its military capabilities in the region for years, raising concern from the West, other Arctic nations and environmental groups.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that two nuclear-powered submarines – the Omsk and the Novosibirsk – fired anti-ship missiles from the Chukchi Sea, hitting targets at a distance of 400 kilometers.

The ministry added that these exercises were a test of “Russia’s ability and readiness to defend the Russian Arctic by military means.”

In addition to these exercises, the Russian coastal missile system “Bastion” also fired at sea targets at a distance of 300 kilometers from the Chukchi Peninsula.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in August called Russian military build-up in the Arctic a “strategic challenge” for the Atlantic Alliance. (Report Jake Cordell; French version Alizée Degorce, edited by Kate Entringer)










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