200 million rubles stolen from Russia’s Northern Fleet
About 200 million rubles have been stolen from Zvezdochka, the Northern Fleet yard in Severodvinsk.
A source in the Russian law enforcement authorities confirms to TASS that about 200 million rubles have been stolen from yard. The money stolen was orginally to be spent on the repair of Navy support vessels, the source says to the news agency.
This is ”not the first case of its kind” at the yard, the law enforcement representative, reportedly a member of the FSB’s unit at the Northern Fleet, adds.
The case will be reported to the court, TASS informs.
Located in military town
The Zvezdochka is a main yard for the Northern Fleet’s ship repair. It is located in Severodvinsk, the closed military town in Arkhangelsk Oblast.
Like most other Russian shipyards, the military orders today account for the lion’s share of Zvezdochka’s operations. An estimated 90 percent of the yard’s orders come from the Ministry of Defence.
Also in other yards, the number of military orders are on the increase, while civilian orders are declining. According to numbers obtained by newspaper Kommersant, navy orders the first nine months of 2015 amounted to 60 billion rubles, while civilian orders only totalled 5,8 billion rubles.
That is the opposite situation compared with year 2010. Then, civilian orders included more investments than the military, respectively 74,4 billion rubles compared with 52,2 billion.
Related stories from around the North:
Asia: Asia ahead on preparing for polar climate change, says U.S. Arctic rep, Eye on the Arctic
Canada: Arctic Council Ministerial – Winners and Losers, Blog by Heather Exner-Pirot
Denmark: Nordics to step up security cooperation on perceived Russian threat, Yle News
Finland: Finland confirms 6th Russian airspace violation in just over a year, Yle News
Norway: Norway must ramp up military in response to Russia: report, Barents Observer
Russia: Russian governor praises role of Barents Cooperation, 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
