Russia creates Arctic brigades

MOSCOW will create two brigades to protect its valuable Arctic resources, Russia's defence minister has said.

Moscow has walked a fine line between co-operation and aggression in the Arctic which the world's top energy producer believes could hold huge reserves of natural gas and oil.

"The General Staff is currently working on plans to create two such units," defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov told state-run news agency Itar-Tass. Declining to go into detail, he added: "The location will be determined, as well as weapons, numbers and infrastructure for the brigades."

Russia, the United States, Denmark, Greenland, Canada, Norway and China all have claims on the potential mining, fishing and shipping rights of the region.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would protect its interests.