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Russia increased its attempts to stake a claim over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean when it announced plans to set up a $93 million dollar monitoring system in the region by 2025, the security company RTI systems said Friday.
The announcement came after the nation submitted a bid to the United Nations Monday to incorporate 460,000 square miles of the Arctic into its territory, causing concerns by non-profits and government officials alike that Russia was becoming too aggressive in the Arctic.
The security system, which will include both civilian and military aspects, was set to include surface radars, underwater lighting, an orbit space system, and remotely-controlled drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been steadily increasing the nation's presence in Arctic waters and said that the decision to do so was both for reasons of national security and access to natural resources.
Putin said NATO's increasing presence on Russia's borders had caused Russia to want to increase its military presence in their border with northern European nations. The Arctic is also a very mineral rich zone that could be used to drill for oil.
The Arctic has been warming over the past several years because of climate change, and its waters are no longer frozen year-round, making it much more accessible for military ships and drillships. The new security system was announced before the U.N. had decided whether Russia's claim to this vast expanse of territory was valid. The area would also include the North Pole, which has long been considered neutral territory. Proximity to northern Europe and Alaska have caused government officials and non-profits to voice their concern.
“The melting of the Arctic ice is uncovering a new and vulnerable sea,"said Vladimir Chuprov, a Greenpeace activist in the region. "Countries like Russia and Norway want to turn it into the next Saudi Arabia. Unless we act together, this region could be dotted with oil wells and fishing fleets within our lifetime," he said.
SEE ALSO: Al Gore: 'Arctic drilling is insane'
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