"We should expect a further increase in the scale of the military presence of NATO combined forces in the Arctic region in the near future, and, as a consequence, the growth of the conflict potential there," Evmenov said at the "Arctic: Today and the Future" international forum in St. Petersburg.
He added that the list of non-Arctic countries attempting to gain access to the region includes Brazil, Japan, China, South Korea, India, and some European states.
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According to Evmenov, the Arctic is turning into "one of the world's hydrocarbon production centres and a powerful hub for international transport communications", attracting various international actors that could threaten Russia's national interests.
The exercise, however, provoked opposition among some Norwegian politicians and was slammed for worsening ties between the US and Russia, as well as placing Norway between a rock and a hard place.
