The Russian Defense Ministry has reached, ahead of schedule, the 2016 annual target for the environmental clean-up of military-supervised lands in the Arctic, Deputy Defense Minister, General Dmitry Bulgakov, who arrived at the Northern Fleet joint strategic command on a working visit, told Interfax.

"Some 6,540 metric tons of scrap metal has been collected and processed this year on the Arctic islands. The annual target was over 4,500 metric tons. The current performance is above the target," Bulgakov said.

The troops involved in the cleanup have been sent to their permanent location.

The general pledged that in 2017, the environmental clean-up of the Arctic will continue.

"The task set by the President to clear the Defense Ministry's lands in the Arctic of all environmental waste will be completed in 2020."