In one of the coldest places on the planet, the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the Russian military has completed the construction of a military base. It is called "Arctic shamrock", because it resembles a flower in shape. The complex is so equipped with everything you need that, if necessary, you can live in complete isolation for a whole year and a half.
Since 2007, construction of a secret facility has begun on the Alexandra Land Island in the Arctic Ocean. Only 10 years later it became known that a Russian military complex called the Arctic Trefoil was being built here.
The scale of the base is striking, because the construction took place in extreme conditions. But the region is rich in oil and natural gas. In addition, the island is also the location of the Northern Fleet's air defense unit.
In total, the base consists of 70 buildings, designed for the work of 150 people. In the center is the central building where the employees will live. On one tier there are single block cabins, and on the other there are double and triple cabins. All buildings are connected by passages. In the Arctic cold, this is a vital solution. The average January temperature is minus 24 degrees Celsius, but sometimes the thermometer can drop to minus 52 degrees.
An autonomous high-capacity boiler house maintains heat at the base, while the surrounding snow serves as a source of water. In case of complete isolation and lack of communication from outside, the resources of the Arctic Trefoil will be enough to provide workers with everything they need for a whole year and a half.
ALL PHOTOS
A section dedicated to the Arctic Trefoil military base erected on Alexandra Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic has appeared on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Visitors to the resource are offered a virtual tour of the base to get acquainted with its structure and the life of the military living there.
"The military infrastructure of the Arctic base consists of numerous structures special purpose, as well as control points, garages for military and special equipment, an autonomous power unit, specialized warehouses and storage facilities. "Arctic Trefoil" is completely autonomous, and the optimal location of residential and office premises of the military base provides comfortable accommodation for up to 150 servicemen for a year and a half, "the military department said in a press release.
A 3D tour of the base "clearly demonstrates how the rooms for the accommodation of military personnel, the officers' canteen, the gym and the cinema and concert halls, the atrium, the library, the greenhouse, and the medical block are arranged and equipped."
"With the help of the Internet application, visitors to the website of the Ministry of Defense will be able to interactively evaluate the convenient and ergonomic modular layout of the base, which allows the Russian military in the harshest natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic to perform high-quality service and combat missions", - emphasize in the Ministry of Defense.
Also, for the convenience of users, the application contains a photo gallery of the objects of the residential complex "Arctic Trefoil" with the possibility of downloading in high resolution.
The military reports that the Arctic Trefoil administrative and residential complex (AHK) is the world's only capital construction project, erected at 80 degrees north latitude. Its area is more than 14 thousand square meters. m. The object was built using innovative and energy efficient technologies. For the first time at AZhK, the principle of creating a technical floor was used, where equipment is located that comfortably serves all communications, including in cold weather.
Recall that the UN commission in early August 2016 began considering Russia's application to expand the boundaries of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe territory that Russia claims is 1 million 191 thousand square meters. km. Following the presentation of the application to the UN in February 2016, it was reported that, as a rule, the commission makes its decision within two to four years.
Meanwhile, Canada and Denmark are claiming some of the territories in the Russian application. In addition, Norway and the United States also claim various areas of the Arctic Ocean floor.
The interest of states in the northern seas is dictated by the fact that their depths contain 83 billion tons of standard fuel. About 80% of them are in the Barents and Kara Seas.
In addition, the West suspects that Russia is going to take advantage of the likely coming climate changes as soon as possible, which will turn the ice of the Arctic into an important sea route that provides the country with economic and tactical advantages.
If agreements on the shelf cannot be reached, the Arctic could become a likely place for future wars, the press said. At the same time, it was noted that the Kremlin is much better prepared for open conflict or habitual competition, since Moscow not only owns more than 40 icebreakers, but also conducts the largest military development of the Arctic since the Cold War.
Russia has more Arctic bases than any other country
As Newsweek magazine wrote, Russia has more Arctic bases than any other country, and it is building new ones, including 13 new airfields and 10 air defense radars in the Arctic, the article says. The United States is deliberately in a losing position - Washington does not have such resources, it has only two old icebreakers that are unable to compete with the Russian Arctic equipment.
At the end of last year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the continuation of the strengthening of the Russian forces in the Arctic. He also noted that the Russian Federation was forced to increase the number of sorties of fighter aircraft by 61% in order to prevent violations airspace countries in the Baltic, the Black Sea and the Arctic.
Against the background of concerns expressed by representatives of Western countries in connection with the strengthening of the Russian military presence in the Arctic, the Russian authorities insist on the exclusively peaceful nature of activities in the region and the desire to cooperate with other countries. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier called not to make the Arctic a place "for geopolitical games of military blocs."
In March of this year, President Putin visited the Alexandra Land island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, where he got acquainted with the results of work to eliminate environmental damage to the Arctic zone, which he announced back in 2011. After that, he reiterated that Russia proceeds from the fact that there is no potential for conflict in the Arctic.
In the northernmost point of Russia, on the Franz Josef Land archipelago, a unique military facility "Arctic Trefoil" is being built. No one has ever built a military facility of this magnitude this close to the North Pole. Only Russian people are capable of this!
© The post uses personal pictures and photographs of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Arctic Shamrock is currently the only capital construction project in the world being built at 80 degrees north latitude.
Alexandra Land is an island with an area of \u200b\u200b1,130 square kilometers, which is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. During World War II, the island housed a German weather station and a submarine base.
The relevance of Alexandra Land as a military base has increased significantly after the creation in December 2014 of the Joint Strategic Command "North", designed to comprehensively ensure the security of the Arctic region of Russia. The three main tasks of this security are the defense of the shelf of the Arctic seas, the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage.
The administrative and residential complex Arctic Trefoil is a five-story shamrock, painted in the colors of the Russian tricolor, between the beams of which there are three ellipsoids - an administrative block, a catering block, and a cultural and leisure center combined with a medical service block.
The Arctic Trefoil is the second closed-cycle complex being built in the interests of the Northern Fleet in the high-latitude regions of the Arctic. The first, at 75 degrees north latitude, was built the AHK "North Clover" on the island of Kotelny in the archipelago of the New Siberian Islands.
In the center of the trefoil there is an atrium - a multi-colored space illuminated through glazing in the roof and stained-glass windows located in the side walls. Above the central pillar of the atrium is an observation deck, protected by translucent structures, which allows visual observation of the main objects of the military infrastructure.
In fact, this is a complex for life and work, equal in autonomy space station... The autonomy of the complex will provide comfortable accommodation and performance of official duties for a group of 150 people for a year and a half.
The total area of \u200b\u200bthe complex is more than 14 thousand square meters.
The residential block in the "Arctic Trefoil" consists of modules for one, two and three people.
Dining room
Over 800 people are employed in the construction. The construction of the Arctic Trefoil is carried out using innovative and energy efficient technologies that minimize energy consumption.
The works are being carried out by the legendary enterprise - Spetsstroy of Russia.
The complex is designed in such a way that facilities such as a power unit, a boiler house, power plants, treatment facilities, warehouses and storage facilities are connected by heated crossings, which means that military personnel will not need to go out into the cold, which reaches minus 52 degrees.
Roads have been dumped on the island, a coastal pumping station has been built and is functioning, which allows receiving fuel from tankers and supplying it to the fuel and lubricants warehouse.
Now there is even a chapel on the island, where the fortress of the spiritual bonds of soldiers and officers will be taken care of.
The Arctic is in the zone of strategic interests of our country, so in April Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu personally inspected the northernmost military base of Russia.
It is one of five garrisons currently being erected in the northern latitudes. The complex on Franz Josef Land is Russia's northernmost outpost in the Arctic. Similar towns are planned to be built along the entire northern border of Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry responded by successfully passing the sea trials of the new generation aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford with a virtual tour of our Arctic Trefoil military base.
1. The base is built in the shape of a three-pointed star and consists of numerous special-purpose structures, as well as control points, garages, warehouses and an autonomous power unit. Its hulls are painted in the color of the Russian flag. Today, this is the only building of this scale in the world built at 80 degrees north latitude.
2. "Arctic Trefoil" is located on the island of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago and is the second military facility built in the Arctic for the deployment of air defense units of the Northern Fleet of Russia. The first was the North Clover military base on the Kotelny island of the Novosibirsk Islands archipelago.
3. In addition to the main building of the housing and administrative complex, the base includes a power plant; a water treatment plant for 700 tons of water obtained by disinfecting snow; onshore pumping station for fuel replenishment; sewerage facilities; heated garages for military equipment... All buildings of the base are connected with each other by heated covered galleries.
4. Construction of the facility has been underway since 2007, but only in 2015 information about the Arctic Trefoil became available to the press.
5. The only subtle points in this construction was the complete lack of information for what money this base was built. Well, our military do not like people to dig into such things, but the Americans are not shy about telling them that the aircraft carrier cost them nearly $ 13 billion. I would like to believe that the money is not wasted.
6. "Arctic Shamrock" is completely autonomous and provides comfortable accommodation for up to 150 military personnel for a year and a half
The total area of \u200b\u200bthe complex is 14 thousand square meters. Look at the photo, you know. what is the term " cold war"may be a completely different meaning ...
The Ecuadorian authorities have stripped Julian Assange of asylum at the London embassy. The founder of WikiLeaks was detained by the British police, and it has already been called the biggest betrayal in the history of Ecuador. What is Assange being avenged and what awaits him?
Julian Assange, a programmer and journalist from Australia, became widely known after the website WikiLeaks, which he founded, published classified documents of the US State Department in 2010, as well as materials related to the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But it was rather difficult to find out who the policemen, supporting by the arms, were taking out of the building. Assange dropped his beard and did not at all look like the energetic man, which he still appeared in the photographs.
According to Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, Assange was denied asylum because of his repeated violations of international conventions.
He is expected to remain at a police station in central London until he appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Why the President of Ecuador is accused of treason
Former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa called the decision of the current government the biggest betrayal in the country's history. "What he (Moreno. - Ed.) Did is a crime that humanity will never forget," Correa said.
London, on the other hand, thanked Moreno. The British Foreign Office believes that justice has been done. Representative of the Russian diplomatic department Maria Zakharova has a different opinion. "The hand of" democracy "squeezes the throat of freedom," she said. The Kremlin expressed the hope that the rights of the arrested person would be respected.
Ecuador harbored Assange because the former president was center-left, criticized US policies, and welcomed WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even before the internet activist needed asylum, he managed to get to know Correa personally: he interviewed him for the Russia Today channel.
However, in 2017, the power in Ecuador changed, the country headed for rapprochement with the United States. The new president called Assange "a stone in his boot" and immediately made it clear that his stay at the embassy would not be prolonged.
According to Correa, the moment of truth came at the end of June last year, when US Vice President Michael Pence arrived in Ecuador on a visit. Then everything was decided. "You can rest assured that Lenin is just a hypocrite. He has already agreed with the Americans about Assange's fate. And now he is trying to make us swallow the pill, saying that Ecuador is allegedly continuing the dialogue," Correa said in an interview with Russia Today.
How Assange made new enemies
The day before the arrest chief Editor WikiLeaks Christine Hrafnsson said that Assange was under total surveillance. "WikiLeaks has uncovered a massive espionage operation against Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy," he said. According to him, cameras and voice recorders were placed around Assange, and the information received was transmitted to the Donald Trump administration.
Hrafnsson said that Assange was going to be expelled from the embassy a week earlier. This did not happen just because WikiLeaks released this information... A high-ranking source told the portal about the plans of the Ecuadorian authorities, but the head of the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry, Jose Valencia, denied the rumors.
The expulsion of Assange was preceded by a corruption scandal around Moreno. In February, WikiLeaks published the INA Papers, which traced the operations of the offshore company INA Investment, founded by the brother of the Ecuadorian leader. Quito said that this is Assange's conspiracy with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the former head of Ecuador Rafael Correa to overthrow Moreno.
In early April, Moreno complained about Assange's behavior in the London Mission of Ecuador. “We must protect the life of Mr. Assange, but he has already crossed all boundaries in the sense of violating the agreement that we came to with him, - said the president. - This does not mean that he cannot speak freely, but he cannot lie and engage in hacking ". At the same time, back in February last year it became known that Assange was deprived of the opportunity to interact with outside world, in particular, his access to the Internet was turned off.
Why Sweden stopped persecuting Assange
At the end of last year, Western media, citing sources, reported that Assange would be charged in the United States. This was never officially confirmed, but it was precisely because of Washington's position that Assange had to take refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy six years ago.
Sweden, in May 2017, closed the investigation of two cases of rape, in which the founder of the portal was accused. Assange demanded from the government of the country compensation for legal costs in the amount of 900 thousand euros.
Earlier, in 2015, the Swedish prosecutor's office also dropped three charges against him due to the statute of limitations.
Where did the rape investigation lead?
Assange arrived in Sweden in the summer of 2010, hoping to get protection from the American authorities. But he came under investigation in the rape case. In November 2010, an arrest warrant was issued in Stockholm, and Assange was put on the international wanted list. He was detained in London, but was soon released on bail of 240 thousand pounds.
In February 2011, a British court ruled to extradite Assange to Sweden, followed by a series of successful appeals for the founder of WikiLeaks.
The British authorities placed him under house arrest before deciding to extradite him to Sweden. Breaking his promise to the authorities, Assange asked for asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy, \u200b\u200bwhich was granted to him. Since then, the UK has had its own claims against the founder of WikiLeaks.
What now awaits Assange
According to the police, the man was re-arrested at the request of the United States for extradition for publishing classified documents. At the same time, Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Duncan said that Assange would not be sent to the United States if he faced the death penalty there.
In the UK, Assange is likely to stand trial on the afternoon of April 11. This is stated on the WikiLeaks Twitter page. Probably, the British authorities will seek a maximum sentence of 12 months, said the man's mother, citing his lawyer.
At the same time, the Swedish prosecutor's office is considering the possibility of reopening the investigation into the rape charge. Lawyer Elizabeth Massy Fritz, who represented the interests of the victim, will seek this.