Russian Arctic Navy drills beat records

The land-based troops of the Northern Fleet have successfully accomplished their 2015 plans for combat preparations, the Navy press service informs.

”Compared with last year, the indicaters for some of the units are several times higher and this has made us capable of qualitatively prepare the troops for operations in Arctic areas, as well as in unknown territories”, Major General Dmitry Krayev says in a press release.

According to Navy data, the number of amphibious landing training exercises has this year been 300 percent higher than in 2014, while shooting training is 20 percent higher. Vehicle driving and parachooting are up 100 percent, the Navy informs.

A key component in the Northern Fleet’s land forces is the newly formed Arctic Brigade.

In the course of the year, the brigade has conducted three major drills, at Kotelny in the New Siberian Islands, in the Taimyr Peninsula and in Novaya Zemlya.

”The training is making the soldiers ready to act in scenarios relevant for the situation in the Arctic”, a Navy press release reads.

The Russian Arctic Brigade is based partly on the 80th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade in Alakurtti and the 200. Independent Motor Rifle Brigade in Pechenga, both of them located near the borders to Norway and Finland.

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