Russia nuclear icebreaker and militarisation of the Arctic

Subject: International relations

Context:

Recently , President Vladimir Putin touted Russia’s Arctic power at a flag-raising ceremony and dock launch for two nuclear-powered icebreakers that will ensure year-round navigation in the Western Arctic.

About the new nuclear-powered icebreakers:

Yakutia: It is 3-metre long with a displacement of up to 33,540 tonnes. It can smash through the ice of up to three metres. It will enter service in 2024.
Rossiya: It is a super-powerful nuclear 209-metre icebreaker. It has a displacement of up to 71,380 tonnes which would be completed by 2027. It will be able to break through ice four metres thick.
Two other icebreakers in the same series, the Arktika and the Sibir, are already in service. Another icebreaker, Chukotka, is scheduled for
These are part of Russia’s large-scale, systematic work to re-equip and replenish the domestic icebreaker fleet, to strengthen Russia’s status as a great Arctic power.

Where does India stand with respect to the Arctic:

India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris.
India is one of the very few countries to set up a permanent station in the Arctic for the purposes of scientific research.
It launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic in the first week of August, 2007.
Subsequently, India has been sending scientific teams every summer and winter to carry out studies in the Arctic.
Indian studies are primarily focused in the fields of glaciology, hydrochemistry, microbiology, and atmospheric sciences.
The Himadri research station, located in Ny Alesund, Svalbard in Norway, was started in July 2008.
In 2014, India deployed IndArc, a multisensory observatory in Kongsfjorden.
In 2016, India’s northernmost atmospheric laboratory was established at Gruvebadet.
It was established to study clouds, precipitation, long-range pollutants, and other background atmospheric parameters.
India has been an observer in the Arctic Council since 2013. Its membership as an observer was renewed in 2019 for another five years.

What is Arctic Council:

The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation on common ArcticEstablished by the eight Arctic Statese the countries whose territories fall in the Arctic region through the Ottawa Declaration of 1996.
Member Nations of the Council – Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States.

What is India’s Arctic Policy:

In March 2022, the Indian government unveiled an Arctic policy.
It envisages India’s engagement in the Arctic region for climate research, environmental monitoring, maritime cooperation and energy security.
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences will serve as the nodal agency in implementing the Arctic Policy.