"Russia has refocused to a defensive, preparatory posture in the Barents Sea, indicating that it has recognized the vulnerability to its submarine bastions and is looking to secure its SSBN force regardless of the state of the Arctic ice. In doing so, Russia revealed a soft spot."
A Crown Jewel in Peril: Russia’s Arctic Aggression Masks Nuclear Vulnerability - Foreign Policy Research InstituteRussia sees opportunity in the Arctic. For centuries, ever-present sea ice has made the region hostile to trade or military exploitation. But as the icebuff.ly