Russian anti-submarine aviation has conducted the first training flight over the North Pole to North American shores since the Soviet era, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu says.
“For the very first time since the Soviet era, we’ve conducted anti-submarine aviation flights over the North Pole to the shores of the North American continent,” Shoigu said on Wednesday.
The development and modernization of the Northern Fleet, as well as the Arctic in general, remains among the main priorities of the MoD. As of the beginning of this year, the share of modern weaponry and military equipment in the fleet has reached almost 50 percent, the minister stated.
Over the past few years, Russia has significantly beefed up its defensive capabilities on its northern borders, building new military facilities and refurbishing old ones, and deploying more troops and hardware to the Arctic region.
Russia currently has four bases there, including the northernmost military compound, known as ‘Arctic Trefoil.’ The installation is the world’s only permanent structure built at 80 degrees latitude north of the Equator.

source: RT.com