It was August 2, 2007. Russian explorers in two mini-submarines dived deep below the North Pole and planted their country’s flag on the seabed. This not-so-subtle assertion of Moscow’s claims to the Arctic was criticized by other countries, especially those that also have an interest in the region.
RFE/RL: Russia flexes its regional muscle as Arctic ice melts
A view of the "Arctic Trefoil", or three-lobed leaf, military base on the island of Alexandra Land, which is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, on May 17, 2021.
