After the end of World War 2, the Arctic developed into a laboratory for Polar scientists and a zone of commercial fishing. It also offers the shortest route from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The situation began to change due to global warming, as the ice began to retreat 200-300 km from the shore and opened year-round navigation from Bering Strait to Murmansk. New hydrocarbon deposits were discovered in the Arctic, the Zvezda weekly writes.
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| Russia is building up Arctic forces, namely using local transportation means (Picture source: Russian MoD) |
