Russian Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi will update the United Nations sub-commission on the tectonic model of the Amundsen and Nansen basins in the central Arctic Ocean as part of the review of Russia's request to expand its Arctic shelf boundaries, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reported.

The UN sub-commission has studied data to determine and analyze the foot of the continental slope in the Amundsen, Nansen and Makarov basins. Russia provided evidence relating to 44 points ascertaining the foot of the continental slope and 42 of these were recognised as appropriate. The sub-commission requested clarification on the remaining two points, which concerned the Amundsen and Nansen basins. The required updated data is to be presented in New York in mid-November.

A concurrent meeting of a separate sub-commission will review Canada's request to expand its continental shelf boundaries.

In 2015, Russia filed a revised request to the United Nations to expand its boundaries of the continental shelf in the Arctic to encompass the Lomonosov underwater ridge that stretches towards the North Pole,  and other structures. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, extending shelf boundaries requires proof of the continental  nature of adjacent geological structures  on the ocean floor.