The Defense Ministry plans to complete the construction and outfitting of around 440 defense infrastructure facilities in the Arctic, Deputy Defense Minister General Dmitry Bulgakov said.

"By the end of this year, 437 defense infrastructure facilities will be completed and outfitted in the town of Rogachyovo (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago), on Alexandra Land islands (Franz Josef Land Archipelago), on the islands of Sredny (Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago), Kotelny (New Siberian Islands Archipelago) and Wrangel, and on Cape Schmidt (part of the Chukotka Autonomous Area)," General Bulgakov said, RIA Novosti reported.

Since the start of the year, the volume of construction materials shipped to the Russian Arctic has almost tripled to 106,000 tonnes, the general said.

At the same time, he said this is not an indication of the Arctic's militarization.