MOSCOW: Russia is boosting aviation infrastructure in the Arctic and will further increase its air defences there, the commander of the country’s northern fleet said yesterday, reports AFP.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has stepped up efforts to expand its military presence in the Arctic which has become a theatre for rival claims over a sea floor believed to be rich in minerals, oil and gas.“Every Arctic island where there are bases of the Northern Fleet is being outfitted with all-season airfields which will be able to host different types of aircraft including heavy transport planes and fighter jets,” said Vice Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.

“We are creating a system to monitor the abovewater and underwater situation in the Northern Passage and to fully control the entire airspace in our zone of responsibility in the Arctic,” he was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

The air defence systems in the Arctic will also be augmented following the deployment of the first air defence regiment in Novaya Zemlya archipelago in 2015, he said. “Air defence forces will only continue to improve and grow,” he said. Russia has significantly boosted its military presence in the Arctic over the last five years, regularly holding exercises and building highly autonomous bases for its troops.