Putin highlighted military power and Arctic shipping when visiting Murmansk
Vladimir Putin came to Murmansk Thursday afternoon. The motorcade drove directly from the airport to the Second World War memorial, by locals named Alyosha, where the Russian leader laid flowers next to the Eternal Flame.
In front of the 35 meters high monument, big posters celebrating the up-coming 80th anniversary of the victory of Second World War are already on display.
From Alyosha, Putin drove pass the Kursk submarine memorial without stopping. The sail of the ill-fated submarine that sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000, killing all 118 sailers onboard, forms the monument.
At the Kirov palace of culture downtown Murmansk, Putin attended the ongoing Arctic Forum, Russia's high-profile conference on Arctic issues.
The role of the military Northern Fleet and development of the Northern Sea Route was on the agenda.
At the venue for the Arctic Forum, Putin was met by Alexey Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.
In his speech, Putin highlighted that Murmansk is the home port of Russia's nuclear icebreaker fleet. "It is known to play a decisive role in the development of Arctic shipping routes and the Arctic as a whole."
Putin pointed to the the powerful Northern Fleet which "ensures the security of Russia’s Arctic borders." He thanked the sailors for their service and especially "the courage they are showing during the special military operation" - Putin's terminology for the bloody full-scale war he started against Ukraine in 2022.
"Let me repeat: here in the Arctic, in this strategic and important region for us, we face large-scale and systemic tasks. We must strengthen the transport and logistics infrastructure, expand the opportunities for the economy and business with the obligatory protection of the sensitive ecosystems of the Arctic," Putin said in his speech which was live broadcasted by the Kremlin's web-portal.
Putin last time visited Murmansk in July 2023 when he went to Novatek’s Kola Yard in Belokamenka, the plant that built the gravity-based structures for LNG projects in the Arctic.
