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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russia reintroduces warship patrols in Arctic |
| 2008-07-14 |
| Russia announced Monday that it is sending warships to patrol Arctic waters for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union -- the latest move to increase the country's global military presence. Patrols by the Northern Fleet's Severomorsk submarine destroyer and Marshal Ustinov missile cruiser will begin Thursday, Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said. Russia began sending aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean Sea in December and resumed long-range bomber patrols last August. "We have been talking for a long time about widening our activity in the Arctic," Dygalo said. "There is nothing aggressive in it -- it is in the interests of security." Former President Vladimir Putin expanded Russian military patrols and Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Putin in May, appears to be maintaining that course. Thereby making him an even better Russian. Moscow-based military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said security was not Russia's primary motivation in sending the Navy ships to the Arctic. "This is flag-waving and that's basically it," Felgenhauer said. "Sending a couple of patrol boats to the Arctic won't change anything." Russia has also been moving to stake its claim to resources that are increasingly accessible as global warming melts Arctic ice. Moscow recently sent an expedition to plant a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole and said research indicates a massive underwater mountain range in the area, which is believed to contain huge oil and gas reserves, is part of Russia's continental shelf. And Russia hopes it can increase access for fishermen who are blocked from seas around the island of Spitsbergen, where Norway claims exclusive rights. Russia does not recognize the 200-mile economic zone delineated by a 1982 U.N. treaty. Dygalo said protecting Russian fisherman was one of the aims of the new Arctic patrols. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #7 ION WAFF.com > FINANCIAL TIMES > BRAZIL ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING A SUPERPOWER + BRAZIL SLOWLY ECLIPSING AN ALLY [Chavez = Venezuela]/SOFT POWER IN THE AMERICAS. Again, WOT > MACKINDER'S WAR ["World Island"], among other > NEW WORLD IS CURR PREVAILING OR WINNING IN THE RACE FOR OWG FREE TRADE ZONES. Russia knows that wid the very real Radical Islamist threat within and along its peripheries + Regional-Global Econ competition from established Nuclear, proto-Nuclear Asian States, for time being it needs the USA to protect it as much to geopol compete against. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-07-14 20:35 |
| #6 practice a couple more torpedo launches, Ivan |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-07-14 20:18 |
| #5 WAFF.com Poster Thread has titled related artic as RUSSIA INVADES NORWAY. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-07-14 19:34 |
| #4 Russia has a mutual defense treaty with Iran. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-07-14 17:49 |
| #3 Patrol against what? It's f*ckin ice?!? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-14 17:40 |
| #2 Russia has also been moving to stake its claim to resources that are increasingly accessible as global warming melts Arctic ice. Not proven. Moscow recently sent an expedition to plant a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole and said research indicates a massive underwater mountain range in the area, which is believed to contain huge oil and gas reserves, is part of Russia's continental shelf. Proven to be a fake. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-07-14 16:34 |
| #1 Responding to the dire Canadian provocation? Heh. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-07-14 16:26 |