Russian military arctic base, which the United States is not happy with

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The largest American TV channel CNN released a report on Russia's military build-up in the Arctic region. As part of the reportage, the channel also published a selection of photographs of Russian military installations. The photographs were obtained using satellite imagery based on Maxar technology.

So why is the emergence of Russian military bases in the North so much talked about?

"When you don't know what the matter is, remember - it's about the money." This expression of the notorious Internet character is the best fit for almost everything that happens in international politics.

After all, in the end, the state is always bumping its heads against the economy. Everything else is nothing more than a superstructure, tinsel. And Russian military bases, which "quite unexpectedly" began to appear in the north, are no exception. For example, CNN has published a couple of photographs of the Russian military base, as well as a photograph of traces of some weapon testing.

Where did the Russian military bases in the north come from and what are they doing there?

Russian military bases in the north took over, oddly enough, from the Soviet Union. Military facilities have always been there, moreover, a significant part of the modern ones are either old Soviet military bases, or new bases on the site of those once abandoned in the "blissful 90s" (this is sarcasm).

According to American and Russian data, the Russian Federation is now carrying out a hasty modernization of existing military facilities, building new radar stations, regularly conducting exercises, carrying out border flights, including using strategic bombers, launching missiles and testing other high-tech weapons. The Russian military with enviable regularity close entire sectors for aviation flights, and also periodically jam the satellite navigation technology in the region - GPS.

Why are US politicians so outraged by the emergence of Russian military bases?

Money. A lot of money. Although this is, of course, an oversimplification. Basically, there are three main reasons. First, ice is gradually melting in the north, which will make it possible to develop new resource deposits in the medium term. Primarily oil and gas. And this in itself is a huge treasure. And if Russia gains a foothold in the region, then all this will go to her.

Secondly, Russia is trying to develop and take full control of an important sea trade artery - the Northern Sea Route (NSR). It runs between Alaska and Norway. The establishment of a permanent military presence will allow the country to dictate its own terms to all states whose ships sail in these waters.

If the ice continues to shrink, then in the coming years the NSR will become much more profitable than the Suez Canal. In this case, the delivery time for containers from Asia to Europe can be cut in half. Russia, on the other hand, is gradually pushing its own requirements for ships sailing along its coast. Now, in particular, the Russian Federation insists that on all foreign ships following the NSR there should be a Russian pilot.

Thirdly, the issue of the country's defense capability. Russia is increasingly flexing its muscles in the server region, including along the borders of its American allies, making it clear that it does not want to see a NATO presence in the region. Accordingly, America is deprived of one of the points of strategic pressure on the country in big politics.

And given the fact of a smaller supply shoulder, the chances that it is Russia that will gain a foothold in the Arctic is extremely high. The growing military power of the Russian Federation is also aroused by the USA's indignation. This is expressed primarily in the increase in the number of exercises, in the increase in the number of border flights, as well as in the testing of new weapons, for example, the Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile or the Poseidon 2M39 torpedo.

Actually, CNN said that the photographs provided show exactly the very storage facilities for the "Zircons" and "Poseidons". Whether this is real operational information or the work of journalists - one can only guess.

P. S. In general, the photograph of the "northern clover" military base that got on the satellite images has already been shown by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation itself. And not on the "secret" satellite images. The Arctic Trefoil was built from 2014 to 2016 and is under the authority of the Northern Fleet.