Russian experts divided over claims to Arctic continental shelf

As Russia staked a high-profile claim to the seabed under the Arctic Ocean, the country
Russia seeks to claim the potentially energy-rich seabed under the Arctic Ocean. From late July to early August, the Akademik Fedorov research vessel undertook an Arctic voyage, including deployment of the Mir-1 and Mir-2 mini-submarines to a depth of more than four kilometers near the North Pole, close to the Lomonosov Ridge (see EDM, August 7). The mission of 85 researchers was headed by Artur Chilingarov, deputy speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. The Rossiya nuclear-powered icebreaker led the Akademik Fedorov through the Arctic ice.

On August 2, the two mini-subs placed a Russian flag on the seabed near the North Pole and took samples of soil and water to study. Upon arrival back to Moscow on August 7, Chilingarov stated that the Arctic always was Russia