Russia, which began a turn toward the Arctic two years ago, is continuing to strengthen its military along with the pursuit of newly opened shipping lanes and natural resources. The focus on the Arctic is driven by the growing importance of the Northern Passage, a 5,600-km (3,500-mi.) route through the Arctic Ocean that connects European Russia with the Far East, according to Vice Premier Dmitry Rogozin. The Arctic gives Russia free access to the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, as well as providing rich natural resources on the continental shelf. The Arctic seas contain up to 76% of the country's continental shelf oil and gas reserves, including Russia's three largest natural gas fields-Stok-man, Rusanov and Leningrad. Russia recently resubmitted a bid to the United Nations to claim nearly 1.2 million sq. km (463,000 sq. mi.) of the Arctic sea bed.
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