Russia

Russia has begun a push to claim a vast chunk of disputed Arctic territory in an aggressive campaign to win control of the region’s oil and gas resources.

A state-sponsored expedition, led by a Moscow geographical institute, is in the region gathering scientific data in an attempt to prove that vast swathes of the seabed belong to Russia.


In a heavily symbolic gesture, the Russian navy sent vessels from its Northern Fleet, based at Severomorsk, into the Arctic last month for the first time since 1991. An anti-submarine destroyer and the missile cruiser the Marshal Ustinov are now patrolling the area. Moscow claims the ships are there to protect its fishermen, but analysts believe they are Russia