MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - New weapons, military hardware and supplies have been delivered to military units stationed in remote parts of the Arctic, Siberia and the Russian Far East this navigation season, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"In all, over 72,000 tonnes of various cargo were supplied to 135 hard-to-reach areas. This includes weapons, military hardware, fuel, lubricants, boiler fuel, food, clothes, medical supplies, building materials, and other essentials," the statement said.
"The smooth supply haul allowed timely replacement of weapons and military hardware in use by remote military units with new, modern systems, which enhance their combat potential," it said.
The cargo was transported by 87 sea and river vessels, nine military transport aircraft, and 68 trucks, which made 196 trips in total, it said.
The stock of quality supplies will meet the military units' needs until the end of the 2025 navigation season, it said.
Additionally, the effort to mitigate environmental damage to the Russian Arctic continued, it said.
"This year, 700 tonnes of scrap metal were picked up on the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago and taken away by ships on return trips. Over 32,000 tonnes of scrap metal have been picked up and taken away from the Arctic zone since 2015," the ministry said.
The completeness and quality of the northern supply haul and mitigation of environmental damage to the Arctic are being closely monitored, the ministry said.