MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Defense Ministry decided on Tuesday that its armed forces will take part in a presidential program to remove garbage from the Arctic.
The decision follows a proposal by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
"Today, I think a proposal will be adopted by the board on the participation of our units, which are working in Franz Josef Land, Mys Shmidta, Wrangel Island, Kotelny Island, the New Siberian Islands, Novaya Zemlya, in a huge program to clear the Arctic together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Russian Geographical Society," Shoigu said addressing the board of the country's military department.
Shoigu added that the Russian Ministry of Defense had taken an active part in the program and would continue to do so in the future.
According to the minister, the islands of the Arctic house debris of aircraft made in the 1960s. He also added that there are also tens of thousands of old oil barrels.
In 2013, Russia unfolded a plan to augment its presence in the Arctic and bolster the region's development by 2020. Experts have voiced opinions that Russia may take from five to seven years before it starts exploring the Arctic.
This April, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia's intentions to protect its interests and borders in the Arctic by announcing the creation of a unified network of naval facilities on its Arctic territories in a bid to deploy advanced warships and submarines.
