Canada’s defence chief warns Russia has reoccupied Arctic bases

Canada's defence chief has warned that Russia has reoccupied abandoned Cold War bases in its Far North, saying protecting the country's Arctic region is a priority.

Canada’s defence chief says protecting the country’s Arctic region is a key priority for the Armed Forces, warning that Russia has reoccupied abandoned Cold War bases in its Far North.

Speaking at a defence conference in Ottawa, Gen. Wayne Eyre said defending NATO’s northern flank “is a key area of concern” for the Canadian military.

Eyre said the threat of a Russian incursion into Canada’s Arctic from the North is very low at the moment. But the general said it could not be ruled out in the decades to come.

He was answering questions about whether Russia could extend its territorial ambitions to Canada’s Arctic region or even invade Canada from the North.

He said it is “not inconceivable that our sovereignty may be challenged” in the future from the North. The military needs to “consider the long game” and look at what else Russia is doing in the world. He said “the Far North is a key area of concern.”

The chief of the defence staff warned about the “remilitarization” of the North by Russia, which has reoccupied formerly abandoned Cold War bases in its Arctic region.

He said Canada’s Arctic is potentially vulnerable because of its sparse population and lack of infrastructure.

But Eyre said showing that Canada’s military can fight and operate in extreme conditions at the furthest reaches of its territory acts as a deterrent and may make an aggressor think twice.