On Aug 6, Nikolai Patrushev, Russia’s Security Council chief announced that Russia would build naval stations for warship’s and other vessels in the Arctic . . . the naval stations will be situated along the Northern Sea Route, which extends from Russia Arctic coast in the Barents Sea to the Bering Strait in the east . . . Russia intends to station forces in the region by 2020 to ensure economic as well as political interests . . . . the Arctic is believed to have significant oil and gas reserves . . . Canada, Denmark, Norway, the U.S  and Russia continue to disagree over territorial claims . . . the move comes as Russia strives to expand its naval and military footprint in areas of strategic importance . . . Russia views itself as a major power in the Arctic and wants to strengthen its position by building military infrastructure and deploying naval assets to ensure access to the untapped energy resources in the region.