In 2019 the Russian Defense Ministry is being put in charge of completely clearing the Arctic islands of scrap metal, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

At a ministry Public Council meeting he stressed that 9,000 square kilometers still require to be cleared where troops have their Artic bases.

"Next year we will completely finish off the job as we know that this is something that's very important for us to do. When we arrived here the condition of the place left a lasting impresssion," emphasized the minister.