Russia's Airborne Force will hold joint military drills with the Northern Fleet in the Arctic soon, Major General Alexei Ragozin, Deputy Commander of the Airborne Force, told Russia-24 TV news channel.

"The Airborne Force is planning to hold major exercises in the Arctic jointly with the Northern Fleet soon. I think we'll continue to build up our presence in the region to protect our national interests," he said.

In April 2015, the Airborne Force and the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force conducted joint rescue drills in the North Pole region to test their survival ability in an extreme environment.