Pro-Palestinian demonstration held outside US ambassador’s residence in Dublin

Pro-Palestinian groups take part in a protest at the US ambassador’s residence in 

Phoenix Park, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Today at 11:40

A number of pro-Palestinian protesters were forcibly dragged away from the gates of the US ambassador’s residence in Dublin during a protest against the country’s support of Israel.

More than 100 protesters, some banging drums and waving Palestinian flags, staged a protest on the roadway leading to the residence inside Phoenix Park.

A large police deployment, including a mounted unit, was present at the scene and after some protesters blocked the roadway in a sit-down protest, barriers were erected to prevent the public approaching the residence.

There was a large police presence at the protest (Niall Carson/PA)

Several cars had turned around as the protest prevented access through main entrances and exits to a key roundabout in the park during rush hour.

Gardai (Irish police) also prevented public access to a nearby car park.

At least two protesters were dragged by gardai away from the closed gates of the residence, which was hosting a Christmas dinner for Irish politicians.

They, along with a Palestinian flag which had been dropped, were returned to the main group of demonstrators behind the garda barriers.

Some demonstrators sat on the roadway as others chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “United States you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide”, “Biden out”, “ceasefire now” and “free, free Palestine”.

Some protesters called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

Three men wearing only their underwear and with their eyes covered by blindfolds also kneeled on the ground as part of the demonstration, in a reference to images of IDF detainees in Gaza.

Other protesters, many of whom were wearing keffiyehs or draped in Palestinian flags, called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Dublin.

People Before Profit TD Brid Smith, who said she was invited to the event in the residency, said protesters were “very angry” with a US veto of a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking to the PA news agency, she said: “So directly and indirectly they are responsible for all the children on whom bombs are falling, injuring them, the hospitals that are being lost, the schools being lost, the lives are being lost, the destruction, the trauma and the dreadful, unspeakable acts that are happening.”

Ms Smith said the protest was to call on Irish politicians to boycott the event and to send a message to the ambassador that the US’ “behaviour is unacceptable”.

Activists block test-drilling for minerals in Lapland

Europe’s green transition pushes for more mines to open. Test drilling in what is believed to be an exceptionally rich copper and nickel deposit in northern Finland, however, was Tuesday morning stopped by environmentalists.

The activists came unannounced to the drilling site north of Sodankylä in the early morning of December 12. 

Photo: Extinction Rebellion Finland

By Thomas Nilsen
December 12, 2023

Viiankiaava is a well-known protected swamp area north of Sodankylä in Lapland, some 120 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle.

Waders, wood sandpipers and willow warblers are some of the birds nesting in the area. By law, human activity is limited to bushwalking and picking berries. Disturbing animals or moving stones and plants are banned.

For Sakatti Mining Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of the giant Anglo American mining company, potential mining will for environmental reasons take place deep underground with no surface installations inside the nature reserve.

Current test borings aimed to estimate the potential for metals, however, are carried out from a rig on the earth’s surface.

“I think it’s outrageous that even protected areas are not safe from mining companies,” says Tipa Lilja, one of the four activists with Elokapina - Extinction Rebellion Finland that blocked the drilling rig on Tuesday.

The group argues that underground exploration here could threaten to dry up the marshland above the mining tunnels.

“Groundwater will leak into the tunnels, drying up the groundwater in the entire swamp area,” the group states and points to similar incidents at the Kaunisvaara iron ore mine in northern Sweden.

Sakatti Mining has valid permits to drill the rocks during this winter season both inside and outside the boundaries of the protected area.

The company describes Viiankiaapa as a rich multi-metal deposit with “excellent exploration potential for metals of the future.”

The environmentalists warn locals against wordings about big money and bright prosperities.

“They promise work and livelihood, but most of the profits will in reality go abroad and the disadvantages will remain on the account of the locals forever,” Tipa Lilja says.

Political pressure to find climate solutions from inside Europe doesn’t make it easier for the environmentalists to protest the mining plans.

Battery producers supplying carmakers like VW, Nissan, Hyundai and Tesla are already rushing to secure as much raw materials as possible. Metal prices are skyrocketing, making mining companies even more eager to explore new areas. Electrification of the transport sector and renewable energy production are key to slow down the global climate crisis. But it all comes with a price: Mining. Big mining.

In that regard, northern Scandinavia proves very promising.

Boliden Kevista open pit mine is just north of Viiankiaapa. 

This is today one of the largest copper mines in Europe. 

Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Tajik Migrants Say They Were Beaten, Deported By Russian Police For Refusing To Fight In Ukraine

December 12, 2023
By RFE/RL's Tajik Service

A woman in Moscow hands out leaflets calling on people to join the Russian Army.

DUSHANBE -- Some Tajik migrant workers in Russia say they were beaten by police and deported on fabricated criminal charges for refusing to fight in Ukraine.

The allegations come as Russian officials continue to target migrant workers from Central Asia in an effort to shore up Moscow's depleted troops in Ukraine, according to migrants and rights activists.

Mansur Hojiev, a 30-year-old Dushanbe resident, was deported from Russia in October just weeks after declining to sign a contract to join the Russian Army, the former migrant worker says.

Hojiev told RFE/RL his problems began when he approached migration officials in September to complete paperwork to obtain Russian citizenship.

"During my appointment at the migration office in the Sverdlovsk district in Perm Province on September 12, officials told me that I need to sign a contract to go to war [in Ukraine] or my citizenship application would be rejected," Hojiev said.

The holder of a valid residency permit, Hojiev said he didn't sign the contract and decided to continue living and working in Russia without trying to get citizenship.

A copy of the verdict by the Sverdlovsk district court in Russia’s Perm Province in a criminal case against Mansur Hojiev.

But two weeks later Hojiev was summoned to the migration office where officials allegedly demanded that he sign a statement admitting to taking illegal drugs.

"Four masked men handcuffed me there, put a plastic bag over my head, and pushed me into a van like a cow," he claimed. "They drove me to some forest, [attaching wires] to my arms and legs and giving me electric shocks."

Hojiev told RFE/RL that under duress he signed a fabricated confession that he was caught by police while taking narcotics.

The next day, the Sverdlovsk district court convicted the Tajik migrant of illegal drug use based on a police report and his "confession." Hojiev was ordered to pay a fine before he was deported to Tajikistan.

RFE/RL repeatedly tried to contact police and court officials in Perm for comment but was unsuccessful.

Rights defenders and migrants in Russia have reported dozens of similar cases of Central Asian workers being pressured into signing contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry amid Moscow's efforts to bolster its troops in Ukraine.

SEE ALSO:
Migrants In Russia Face Raids, Political Attacks As Pressure To Fight In Ukraine Increases

Just weeks before Hojiev was targeted at the migration office, Russian rights activist Tatyana Kotlyar told the 7X7 Telegram channel that five Central Asian migrants were ordered to sign such military contracts as a precondition for obtaining a Russian passport.

Among them was a Tajik migrant working in Kaluga Province whose citizenship application was rejected after the man said he was unable to join the military on medical grounds, Kotlyar said.

Kotlyar wrote on Facebook afterward that the migrant filed a complaint to Russian authorities. But in response, "a protocol was drawn up against him [by police] for a violation that did not exist," the activist said.

Right Decision

Valentina Chupik, the director of Tong Jahoni, a human rights NGO in Russia, has repeatedly spoken about officials' campaign to recruit migrant workers into the army using force, intimidation, or strong incentives such as the promise of fast-tracked citizenship.

The total number of Central Asian citizens who have gone to war in Ukraine is unknown.

Dushanbe resident Anvar, who gave only his first name, claims he was ordered by officials at the Sakharovo migration center in Moscow to sign a military contract in March.

"I told them that I don't want to go war. They insulted me and beat me," he told RFE/RL. "They kicked me in my lower back."

The Sakharovo migration center in Moscow (file photo)

Anvar said he was kept in detention for 17 days before being deported to Dushanbe for allegedly violating migration rules.

"I have had my all documents in order. I had paid the required three-month fees to extend my work permit; I had also paid the fees on time to prolong my residency documentation," said Anvar, who maintains he was punished for refusing to go to Ukraine.

Anvar's mother said her son returned home "badly bruised" and suffering both physical and psychological trauma. He underwent medical treatment for several months.

Hojiev and Anvar haven't yet found work in Dushanbe. Unemployment is rife in impoverished Tajikistan, which has forced millions to move to Russia where they are vulnerable to threats and pressure put on them by Russian authorities.

Despite being destitute, however, the two said they don't regret their decision to reject serving in the Russian military in Ukraine.
Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by the RFE/RL Tajik Service and the Central Asia Migrant Unit

The Chechens ran Russia's show at COP28

Russia's climate envoy Ruslan Edelgeriev meets UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during COP28. Photo: twitter.com/COP28_UAE

Climate calamity looms, but Moscow's participation at the COP28 will be remembered for its unfaltering support for fossil fuels and the key role of Chechen strongmen.

By Atle Staalesen
December 12, 2023

For the Russian conference participants, the fighter jets that on the 6th of December flew low over the Arab capital with jet clouds in the colors of the Russian tricolor might have be one of the most memorable parts of the COP28. As climate negotiators from across the world discussed ways to save the planet against climate catastrophe, the UAE sent up its air force a in a greeting to Vladimir Putin who had come to town to meet President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The jet emissions left colorful clouds in the sky. But it was not emissions and climate talks that brought Putin to Dubai. Judging from statements from the Kremlin, the talks with the Arab sheikh were first of all about fossil fuels, economy and security.

The Russian tricolor in the skies above Dubai as Russian leader Vladimir Putin came to town during the UN Climate Conference. Photo: Kremlin.ru

The war against Ukraine has left Russia isolated on the international stage, but the UN climate conferences remain an arena open to the Russians. Reportedly, there were almost 600 Russian representatives at the event.

At the helm of the delegation stood former Chechen prime minister Ruslan Edelgeriev, who has been Putin’s envoy on climate issues since 2018. The 49-year old official, who served ten years in the Russian interior ministry before he in 2007 was was appointed Chechen Minister of Agriculture, is a close comrade with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and both men took part in the bilateral meeting between Putin and the UAE President.

Ruslan Edelgeriev and Ramzan Kadyrov were part of the delegation in Putin’s meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Photo: Kremlin.ru

For some, the appointment of Edelgeriev to the post as top climate envoy might seem like evidence of Russia’s ridicule of the international climate talks. But the Chechens and Russians praise his skills.

“He is a Specialist with big letter [and] with firm confidence I can say that he is a God-fearing, respectable person and also excellently educated, full of initiative and a multi-level specialist,” Kadyrov says about his man.

During the climate conference, Kadyorv sent a birthday video greeting to Edelgeriev, calling him “one of the sharpest representatives of his team.”


Ramzan Kadyrov posted birthday greeting to Edelgeriev on his VK page.

Edelgeriev won tribute from the Chechen strongman when he at the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference in Montreal in 2022 started his address with a prayer and citation of the Koran.

“As far as I know, Edelgeriev is the first and so far only Russian official on federal level that has started his speech at an international event with the words of the Holy Koran,” Kadyrov wrote on his VK page.

“This once again shows that the Russian Federation is the best friend and business partner of the Moslem countries,” he underlined.

Climate envoy Edelgeriev recites Koran during address at climate conference. 

Video posted on Kadyrov’s VK page

Ruslan Edelgeriev and Ramzan Kadyrov were not the only Chechens in Dubai during the climate conference. Also several of Kadyrov’s relatives were in town. Among them was Akhmat Kadyrov, the 18-year old son of the strongman, that recently was appointed First Deputy Minister of Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy in the Chechen government.

In a video shared by his father, the inexperienced young man is seen meeting with Saeed Al Nazari, the Director General of the Federal Youth Authority of the UAE.


Ramzan Kadyrov’s son Akhmat in Dubai during the COP28. 

Video posted on Kadyrov’s VK page

Reportedly, also Kadyrov’s daughter Khadizhat, as well as her husband Adam Alkhanov, were visiting Dubai at the time. The latter is Chechen Minister of Health. According to Kavkaz.Realii, it is Edelgeriev that is counseling the Kadyrov family members during their stay in Dubai, and they all attended the COP28 plenary session and also met with representatives of the UAE, Syria and the Palestine National Authority.

The Kadyrov family is believed to own several properties in the UAE and have big money in national banks.

Ramzan Kadyrov and Ruslan Edelgeriev. Screenshot of video by Kadyrov



The UN climate meeting takes place on the backdrop of an increasingly alarming situation in global climate, and Russia is among the countries hardest affected. According to the latest climate report from the country’s Meteorological Service, Russia is experiencing an increase in air temperatures that by far exceeds global average. In 2022, the researchers found a national 0,87 °C divergence from the average of the period 1991-2020.

And the situation is even more notable in the Russian Arctic where the divergence was up to +1,1 °C.

However, Russian authorities are cautious about raising the alarm about the dramatic changes.

Moscow remains an ardent opponent of international efforts to phase out fossil fuels, and Ruslan Edelgeriev has repeatedly warned against an international hydrocarbon ban.

“We will in no case accept to be blackmailed by all kinds of corrective mechanism on hydrocarbons, a ban on coal and transformation to other energy sources that are unfavorable to us,” he said in last year’s St.Petersburg Economic Forum.

Symptomatically, before the start of the COP28, Russia adopted an updated version of its climate doctrine. As noted by newspaper Kommersant, the updated version of the document, unlike the one from 2009, does not include a mention about burning of fossil fuels as driver for climate gas emission.

Russia is heavily dependent on its oil and gas exports and the Kremlin argues that western powers seek to curb Russian oil under the disguise of climate efforts.

Ahead of the COP28, the country’s Minister of Environment Aleksandr Kozlov warned against a “politization” of climate issues.

“In the conference, our country will stand up against politization of the process, something that could unfold on the background of the complicated geopolitical situation,” Kozlov underlined in a newspaper interview.

 

Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky is fined for video about Crimean Bridge blast. He was reported to police by Ukhta’s “chief pioneer”

The court believed that the video about the “explosive congratulations of the cat Mostik” justified terrorism. The hearing and the verdict took only 24 hours.

Read in Russian | Читать по-русски

Georgii Chentemirov

     

December 13, 2023

The Barents Observer · Социолога Бориса Кагарлицкого приговорили к штрафу за видео про подрыв Крымского моста

A military court in the northern Russian region of Komi sentenced sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky to a fine of 600,000 rubles (€6185) for “justification of terrorism”, although the prosecution requested a prison term of 5.5 years for him, SOTA reports.

The charges were based on a video published by the Rabkor media outlet headed by Kagarlitsky. The video entitled “Explosive congratulations of the cat Mostik, Nervous people and events, Strikes on infrastructure” was dedicated to the blast on the Crimean Bridge on October 8, 2022. The video has now been deleted.

Kagarlitsky’s lawyer Sergei Erokhov said that the age of the defendant who is 65 years old was the reason for the lenient sentence and added that they were satisfied with the verdict. Kagarlitsky did not plead guilty and said in court that he had opposed any form of terrorism or terrorist policies all his life.

Kagarlitsky was released in the courtroom. He told reporters that such a lenient sentence was due to the publicity around his case.

     “Unfortunately, for those who fall under the same road roller in some small town, in a local court, with local law enforcement officers, their fate is much more dramatic, simply because their case is often not known, including among big bosses,” 

– Kagarlitsky told a SOTA reporter.

As it became known at the first hearing, which took place the day before, Boris Kagarlitsky had been reported to the police by a local council member in the city of Ukhta and director of the local Creativity Center Leonid Krasnoperov. This was the reason why the case was considered in Komi.

Leonid Krasnoperov is also a member of the expert board of the Kremlin-backed youth association “Movement of the First”, a copy of the pioneer movement in the USSR. On his social media page, Krasnoperov praises the policies of President Vladimir Putin and publishes “patriotic” content. Some of his posts are dedicated to Joseph Stalin, whom he calls “The Great Ruler of Russia”.

Boris Kagarlitsky is a political scientist, sociologist, teacher, and author of publications and studies on the leftist movement in Russia and the world. In April 1982, Kagarlitsky was arrested for “anti-Soviet propaganda” and spent just over a year in Lefortovo prison. In addition, Kagarlitsky is the editor-in-chief of the online media outlet Rabkor and the author of the YouTube channel of the same name. In 2022, the Ministry of Justice put Kagarlitsky on the list of “foreign agents”.

Criminal cases related to comments about the explosion on the Crimean Bridge began to be initiated after the incident on October 8, 2022. The state used these cases, among other things, to suppress anti-war sentiment in Russia. In May 2023, Nikita Tushkanov, a school teacher from Komi, was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison. The FSB accused him of justifying terrorism for his comments about the Crimean Bridge. Arkhangelsk student Olesya Krivtsova, who escaped from house arrest in March of this year, also faced criminal prosecution on the same charges. Human rights organization Memorial put Tushkanov and Krivtsova on the list of political prisoners.

 Boris Kagarlitsky. Photo from personal Facebook page

Halifax Shipyard Launches Canada’s Fifth 

Arctic And Offshore Patrol Ship

The Royal Canadian Navy’s fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette, was launched on December 9, 2023 at Halifax Shipyard.

Naval News Staff  12 Dec 2023

Halifax Shipyard press release

The launch of the fifth of six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, marks a significant milestone for Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and the revitalization of the Royal Canadian Navy’s combatant fleet.

A full two months ahead of schedule, the 103-metre future HMCS Frédérick Rolette transitioned from Halifax Shipyard’s land-level facility to a submersible barge on December 8 and launched in the Bedford Basin today.

The ship, constructed by over 2,400 shipbuilders, is now pier side at Halifax Shipyard where work continues in preparation for sea trials and handover to the Royal Canadian Navy in September 2024.

Inside Halifax Shipyard’s facilities, the Royal Canadian Navy’s sixth AOPS, the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray and the first AOPS variant for the Canadian Coast Guard are under construction, with work progressing as planned.

A generation of shipbuilders will deliver six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, two AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard, and 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships for the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the NSS.

“The launch of future HMCS Frédérick Rolette is another milestone achieved on our mission to deliver ships for Canada. I’m proud of the teamwork that delivered this result”.

Dirk Lesko, President of Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

Charles Frédérick Rolette was born in Québec City on September 23, 1785, and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman while a young teen. He distinguished himself during the War of 1812, earning a reputation as a bold and quick-thinking officer. The historical Canton of Rolette, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, roughly 50 km southeast of the town of Montmagny, Québec, near the American border, was established in 1868 in his honour.

Just before the outbreak of the War of 1812, Rolette was posted to Amherstburg, Upper Canada (now Ontario) as Lieutenant in command of the brig General Hunter. When word of the outbreak of war reached Amherstburg on July 3, 1812, Rolette acted immediately, capturing an American vessel, the Cuyahoga, before the American crew even realized that their country had declared war on Britain. This was the first action of the War of 1812 and a significant prize as the Cuyahoga carried the American commander General William Hull’s papers and dispatches. This provided the British with significant early intelligence on American strength and deployment.

At a time when it was not yet customary to award medals to military personnel in recognition of conspicuous gallantry, Lieutenant Rolette was mentioned in dispatches by senior military officers on several occasions during the war. At the capture of Detroit, Major-General Isaac Brock praised Rolette’s conduct in the highest terms: “I have watched you during the action,” said the general, “you behaved like a lion, and I will remember you.”

– End –

 

Putin beefs up naval nuclear arsenal, promises more subs

Vladimir Putin praised the shipyard in Severodvinsk for its work on building new modern submarines. To the left, Commander of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. Screenshot from Sevmash film via Vkontakte

Putin on Monday attended the flag-raising ceremony for the two nuclear-powered submarines Krasnoyarsk and Imperator Aleksandr III at the Sevmash yard in Severodvinsk.

Read in Russian | Читать по-русски

By

Thomas Nilsen

 

December 11, 2023

“With such sailors, with such vessels and with such weapons, Russia will feel safe,” Vladimir Putin wrote in the guest book on the bridge at one of the warships at port in Severodvinsk. 

Putin’s visit to the north Russian Arkhangelsk region was not announced and came as a surprise to locals who Monday morning discovered police and security forces at every street corner as the president’s motorcade came to Severodvinsk.

The president went directly to Sevmash, the only shipyard in Russia building nuclear-powered submarines. 

“We are consistently equipping the Navy with the most modern equipment and weapons and, let me emphasize, we are increasing serial production. Thus, Imperator Aleksandr III is already the seventh vessel in the series of Borei-class strategic missile carriers, and the cruiser Krasnoyarsk is the fourth vessel in the series of Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear boats,” Putin said from stage.

A transcript of Putin’s speech is posted on Vkontakte by Sevmash. 

He promised to keep up Russia’s construction program for more nuclear-powered submarines of the 4th generation. 

“Work to increase Russia’s naval power will certainly continue. In the coming years, as part of the state armament program, three more Borei-A class strategic missile carriers should be launched from the  legendary Sevmash and transferred to the Navy.”

The Borei-A class subs can each carry 16 Bulava ballistic missiles and form the naval leg of Russia’s nuclear deterrence. 

Five more of the multipurpose Yasen-M class subs are currently under construction at the north Russian yard, including the Arkhangelsk which was put on water in late November this year. 

Three additional subs of the class will follow, bringing the total number up to 12, six for the Northern Fleet and six for the Pacific Fleet. 

The Krasnoyarsk will, like the Imperator Aleksandr III, sail for the Pacific Fleet. 

Vladimir Putin recently approved the country’s 2024 budget with a record high portion going to the armed forces. Defense and security structures will next year reach about 40% of the total expenditure.

No details are provided on the costs of each new nuclear submarine now being rolled out. 

• 

  Photo: Sevmash

Putin in Arkhangelsk: Arctic industry and infrastructure on agenda

The Russian ruler gathered the governors of all Arctic regions for a talk about big projects. Among them is a nuclear power station in the north Siberian village of Ust-Kuiga.



Vladimir Putin and Navy Chief Nikolai Yevmenov in Arkhangelsk. Photo: Kremlin.ru

By Atle Staalesen

December 12, 2023

Upon arrival in the Arkhangelsk region on 11th of December, Putin headed straight to the naval city of Severodvinsk where he attended the flag-raising ceremony for the two nuclear-powered submarines.

He subsequently sat down for talks with regional Governor Aleksandr Tsybulsky and chaired a video meeting with the leaders of all of Russia’s nine Arctic regions.

The seaport of Nayba is among Russia’s so-called support points for Arctic industry and infrastructure development.

On the agenda were the so-called Arctic support points that have been chosen as sites for new industry and infrastructure. A total of 16 sites are included in the list.  Among them is the Tiksi-Nayba area in the Sakha region.

According to Head of the Sakha regional government Aysen Nikolayev,  Tiksi-Nayba will be an area of significant growth. Among the upcoming investments is the building of infrastructure to the nearby village of Ust-Kuyga where Rosatom is in the process of planning a small-scale nuclear power station.

 

Together with a representative of Rosatom, Sakha regional government Aysen Nikolayev in August 2023 officially launched construction of a workers village in Ust-Kuyga. Photo: Rosatom

 

The installation will be the world’s first land-based station of its kind and be based on a RITM-200N reactor. It will have a heat and electricity production capacity of 190 MW 55 MW respectively and can serve for up to 60 years, Rosatom informs.

The power plant will provide energy to the nearby Kyuchussky mining area where several minerals and metals will be extracted, among them gold, tin and various rare earth metals.

The seaports of nearby Tiksi and Nayba will serve as local logistical hubs. By year 2032, the port of Nayba will be able to handle up to 15 million tons of goods per year, Governor Nikolayev explained to Putin.

Also the port of Tiksi will significantly be expanded. It will not only be able to handle far more goods, but also serve cruise vessels, the regional leader said.

Arctic developments have been high on the agenda of Putin after he prolonged his presidential tenure in 2018. According to his ambitious plans for the region is the boost in shipments on the Northern Sea Route to 80 million tons in year 2024.

That objective will be far from fulfilment. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of the Far East and Arctic, the volume will amount to 36 million tons in 2023.