Source:
https://scmp.com/news/world/article/1373041/russia-has-vital-economic-and-defence-interests-arctic-putin-says
World

Russia has vital economic and defence interests in Arctic, Putin says

Vladimir Putin takes questions from an audience at Moscow State University. Putin said that Russia should beef up its presence in the Arctic. Photo: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country has vital defence and economic interests in the Arctic, citing a potential US military threat from submarine-based missiles there.

Russia detained 30 Greenpeace activists protesting against Arctic drilling at the Prirazlomnaya offshore oil platform in September and they now face charges carrying seven-year jail sentences, underlining Moscow's interest in the Arctic.