Work to clean up the territory and remove litter is underway in the Russian Arctic, RIA Novosti reported, citing Nuritdin Inamov, director of the Natural Resources Ministry's International Cooperation Department, as saying at an international conference in Tromso.

"The clean-up will continue in 2016. We plan to remove and dispose of at least 8,000 tons of waste, including 1,000 tons from Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The program will be completed by 2025," he said.

Inamov recalled that Russia has been conducting work to eliminate environmental damage to the Arctic for several years, where empty barrels, scrap metal and other waste have accumulated as a result of economic activity. The clean-up effort is significantly complicated by climatic conditions, he said. "Unfortunately, we cannot conduct a year-round clean-up, as litter can be transported only during one or two months when navigation is open in the Arctic," Inamov said.