Russian Arctic to be Shielded by S-400s by Year-end

Russian battalion in the Northern Fleet will be equipped with S-400 air defense systems to shield the Russian Arctic region from aerial threats, by the end of this year.

"This year, S-400 systems will enter service with the air defense missile regiment stationed on Novaya Zemlya. There are plans to arm all our Arctic battalions with these systems in coming years and thus create an air defense dome over the Russian Arctic," Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Alexander Moiseyev was quoted as saying by Russian defense ministry-run Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Monday.

Also, units of a new air defense formation have gone on experimental combat duty in Tiksi to provide security of the airspace over the Northern Sea Route, he added.

"In the future, we are planning to build up the air defense capabilities of Russia’s northern frontiers," the vice-admiral stressed.

Russia also continues building ramified military infrastructure on the Arctic islands, in particular, hi-tech lighting systems to monitor the situation in the air, on the ground and under the water, he said.