Russian navy will hide entire Arctic town in giant fake fog screen
Civilians asked to stay calm for the next three days. Despite “specific smell” – the smoke is harmless to people, Defence officials assure.
During a three days exercise from August 10 to 12, Russia’s Northern Fleet will try to hide its main base Severomorsk under smoke, Interfax reports quoting sources in the Defence Ministry.
Severomorsk is not a small town, the city has 50,000 inhabitants and covers several square kilometres. Located by the Kola bay some 20 kilometres north of Murmansk, Severomorsk is the third largest city on the Kola Peninsula.
“Residents are asked to remain calm: the smoke mixture is not dangerous to humans, though, it has a particular smell,” the statement from the Defence Ministry reads.
Windows should be closed and drivers should be more vigilant due to bad visibility on the roads.
The Northern Fleet aims at making Severomorsk invisible to potential enemies. Using fake smog in military exercises is nothing new, but the attempt over the coming days is said to be the largest such exercise ever held.
16 years since Kursk-accident
Simultaneously, the Northern Fleet holds an antisubmarine exercise in the Barents Sea,TASS reports on Wednesday.
Antisubmarine vessels “Admiral Kulakov” and “Severomorsk” sail together with the destroyer “Admiral Ushakov” hunting for enemy submarines.
On Friday, the Russian Navy will mark that it is 16 years since the ill-fated “Kursk” submarine sank in the Barents Sea.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada’s defence review and the Arctic, Eye on the Arctic
Denmark: Nordics to step up security cooperation on perceived Russian threat, Yle News
Finland: Finland to plan joint Nordic military uniform, Yle News
Norway: Norway calls snap military drill in Arctic, after Russian announcement, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: New Russian spy ship to keep tabs on Norway, Barents Observer
Sweden: New security landscape in the Arctic, Radio Sweden
United States: U.S. general says Alaska military cuts not final without Arctic plan, Alaska Public Radio Network
