World's Largest Surface Warship Pyotr Veliky Leads Russia's Northern Fleet To The North Pole

Nuclear-powered cruise ship Pyotr Veliky (099). (Source: TASS/Lev Fedoseyev)

JAKARTA - The Russian military deployed its fleet of warships to the Beretns Sea, North Pole. Unabashedly, the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet is led directly by the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky (099).

The ship, dubbed by the Western military as the world's largest surface warship today, was accompanied by a number of military forces of various types belonging to Russia, the North's Fleet press office reported.

From anti-submarine warships, missile ships, more than 10 minesweepers, helicopters and aircraft for anti-submarine warfare, to the special group Kola Flotilla of All Arms Forces to combat underwater sabotage.

The deployment is part of an increase in Russian military vigilance, as well as holding integrated exercises in the region. In the middle of this month, two Tupolev TU-160 strategic bombers escorted by the Russian Air Force's MiG-31, made a flight over the Barents Sea.

Certainly not without reason, because Russia is currently actively strengthening its military in the Arctic region. Last week, one of the commanders of Russian forces in the Arctic Ivan Gluschenko said he sent one of his warplanes to 'escort' a Norwegian aircraft in the Arctic region, despite not breaching the border earlier this month.

"The enemy must not pass," Ivan Glushchenko said, as reported by The Moscow Times on Wednesday, May 19.

The Russian warship Pyotr Velikiy (099) was 'escorted' by Britain's HMS Dragon (D35). (Wikimedia Commons/Royal Navy MOD)

Earlier, xinhua reported on April 20, mig-31 jets intercepted two patrol aircraft belonging to the United States and Norway over the Barents Sea. Russia identified the aircraft as the U.S. P-8A Poseidon and norway's P-3C Orion.

"At sea, warships practice maneuvering in placement orders, searching for enemy submarines in interaction with Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine war helicopters and Ilyushin Il-38 aircraft," the fleet's press office said as reported by TASS News Agency on Monday, May 24.

"Sailors also practiced the passage of warships through clear waterways from mines and fended off attacks by saboteurs aboard high-speed vessels," the statement continued.

As evidence of seriousness, the fleet press office called the Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, Vice Admiral Oleg Golubev directing the exercise up close.

Russia is strengthening its presence in the Arctic. Most recently, the Red Bear Country built an ultra-modern military base, right in the heart of the Arctic, where there is Moscow's dispute with NATO.

"The Arctic zone is a very important region of the Russian Federation, which applies both to our borders and to our special economic zones. The economic potential grows year after year, you know that there are general plans for national development in the Arctic. And all of this is implemented consistently," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN Wednesday, April 7.