Russia Faces No Threats Requiring Military Response In Arctic Region - Chief Of Staff

Russia is not being targeted by any threats in the Arctic region that require an emergency military response, Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) Russia is not being targeted by any threats in the Arctic region that require an emergency military response, Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday.

"Now there are no significant threats that require an emergency military response. This is taking that into account that we have not held and are not going to hold large-scale drills there," Gerasimov said at the Moscow Conference on International Security.

He pointed out that the Russian Defense Ministry was also closely following NATO's activities in the region.

"For example, the Trident Juncture 2018 drills that were held in Norway in 2018 .

.. were aimed at demonstrating the increased NATO military potential in the Arctic region. We believe that these activities of the alliance are provoking an arms race and are not in line with the goals of Arctic development and exploration," Gerasimov said.

Russia has been stepping up its military, trade and exploration activities in the Arctic in recent years, building transport and energy production infrastructure, setting up military facilities and developing the Northern Sea Route that links Europe and Asia.