A Defense Ministry unit to clean Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic
© RIA Novosti. Ramil Sitdikov

A Defense Ministry unit to clean Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic

A Defense Ministry unit has flown to the Arctic to clean the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry Information and Communications Department reported.

According to Deputy Defense Minister Army General Dmitry Bulgakov, the unit will engage in environmental cleanup around the villages of Belushia Guba, Rogachyovo and Severny on the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. The unit will collect and remove over 2,000 metric tons of scrap metal, reclaim 11.5 hectares of land and pull down 59 buildings.

In addition, the Northern Fleet will send a 30-man environmental cleaning platoon to Kotelny Island. Another platoon, formed in the Central Military District, has started operations in Norilsk.

In 2017, the Northern Fleet, the Central and Eastern Military Districts and the 12th Main Directorate of the Defense Ministry have formed environmental cleanup units with approximately 186 officers and personnel to help clean the Arctic of leftover scrap metal and waste.  

This year, environmental operations will take place on Novaya Zemlya, Novosibirsk Islands and other areas in the Russian Arctic. In all, the units will collect over 3,900 metric tons of scrap metal.