러시아ㆍ유라시아

In April 2017, Russia unveiled an Arctic Trefoil military base on Alexandra Land Island in the northeast Barents Sea. It is Russia’s northernmost military outpost and the second of its kind, following the completed Northern Clover on  Kotelny. Alexandra Land is also home to the upgraded Nagurskoye Airbase. Rather than ensuring these new Arctic bases remain secret, the Russian government is encouraging virtual tours of its state-of-the-art, clover-like compound, which is designed to withstand severe weather. Russia’s military posture on Alexandra Land provides air, sea, and land capabilities to reinforce Russia’s multilayered maritime and air denial capabilities; safeguard the Kola Peninsula, which is home to the Northern Fleet’s headquarters and Russia’s advanced Arctic land, air, and naval assets, including its nuclear arsenal and second-strike capabilities; and ensure Russia’s access to and control over the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Geographically, Alexandra Land’s proximity to the Greenland-Iceland-Norway (GIN) and Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gaps and its increased capabilities could disrupt NATO’s vital sea lines of communication (SLOC) between North America and Europe, hindering U.S. military reinforcement to Europe.