Russia is finding new islands in the Arctic, while the US is still trying to figure out how to get up there(Source Business Insider)

Russia, already the owner of the world’s longest Arctic coastline, has spent the past few years bolstering its presence there. Now changes wrought by climate change are giving Moscow more territory to work with in the Arctic as the US is still looking for ways to get into the high north.

Russian sailors and researchers explored five new islands around the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Ocean off Russia’s northern coast during an expedition in August and September.

The islands, ranging in size from about 1,000 square yards to 65,000 square yards, were first spotted in 2016 but not confirmed until the expedition by Russia’s Northern Fleet and the Russian Geographical Society. In all, Russia has built 475 military facilities in the Arctic over the past six years and deployed personnel, special weapons, and equipment to them, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in March. US officials regard Russian activity in the Arctic as “aggressive” and have questioned their Russian counterparts on it.