Northern Fleet is given more weight as Russia attaches greater importance to the North Pole.
俄北方舰队将组建新集团军，与北约对抗继续升级
Ling Yunzhi
凌云志
Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on its website that the Russian Defense Ministry recently decided to form a new combined-arms army with subordinate motorized rifle brigades, regiments and divisions in its Northern Fleet, the members of which will receive operational training that adapts them to the extreme climate and terrain in the polar region.
据俄罗斯《消息报》网站报道，近期俄罗斯国防部作出决定，将在北方舰队新建一支由摩托化步兵旅、团和师级作战单位组成的诸兵种合成集团军，其人员将接受极地作战训练，以适应极端气候和地形的挑战。
Russia has two things in mind in forming the combined-arms army, that is, to enhance its overall combat capability and increase its defensive and deterrence forces in the North Pole, and to respond to NATO's eastward expansion and increasingly frequent military operations in the North Pole. With the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it's foreseeable that Moscow will continue to adopt more measures to stand up against NATO, and the relations between the two sides will keep worsening.
此次北方舰队组建新合成集团军，其目的一方面是提升其整体作战实力，增强俄罗斯在北极地区的防御和威慑力量，另一方面也是应对北约东扩和在北极地区日益频繁的军事活动。从未来发展来看，随着俄乌冲突进程的不断发酵，俄罗斯还将会继续采取更多的举措与北约对抗，双方关系会不断紧张。
To protect its interests and reinforce its military presence in the North Pole, Moscow has established the Northern Fleet and Arctic Joint Strategic Command on the military district level, which has taken over the territory and military units allotted from the Western Military District. Besides, to ramp up its defense forces in the polar region, Moscow has also deployed the Bal and Bastion coastal defense missile systems and other air defense systems on the Arctic Archipelago, along with more intelligence reconnaissance forces on the islands and along the coastline.
为了保护北极地区的利益和加强军事力量，俄罗斯专门成立了军区级别的北方舰队联合战略司令部，接管了从西部军区划分出来的领土和军事单位，并建立了北极地区部队集群，并抽调了位于北极地区的中部军区和东部军区的增援力量。另外，为了增强北极地区的防御力量，俄军还在北极群岛上部署了“舞会”、“堡垒”等岸基导弹系统以及各种防空系统，在北冰洋群岛和海岸线部署了更多情报的侦察力量。
Moreover, Russian troops have carried out military exercises regularly in the region, including transferring troops to the North Pole from other regions, conducting special training and real-combat simulation, and performing scientific survey and research in polar environment, with a view to swiftly responding to possible threats and emergencies.
除了加强在北极地区的军力部署外，俄军还定期在该地区进行军事演习，内容包括从其他地区向北极调动部队、在北极地区进行特训和实战模拟、以及对极地环境进行的科学调查和研究等，以确保迅速响应可能出现的威胁和紧急情况。据悉，未来北方舰队很可能还会兼顾北大西洋和北极两大地区，其军事演习范围还会继续扩大。
NATO's incessant eastward expansion in recent years has seriously threatened Russia's security, and their relationship has been further deteriorated by the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. At the same time, NATO is showing a growing interest in the North Pole region. For instance, it is holding the military exercise dubbed Cold Response in Northway every other year, and the latest one involved more than 30,000 people, 200 aircraft and 50 vessels.
近年来，北约不断东扩给俄罗斯构成了极大的不安全感，特别是俄乌冲突的爆发，使得俄罗斯和北约的关系进一步恶化。与此同时，北约对北极地区表现出越来越大的兴趣，例如北约每两年在挪威举行一次的代号为“寒冷反应”的大型军事演习，最近一次演习的规模已经超过3万人、200多架飞机和50多艘舰艇。
Faced with complex changes in the geopolitical and security situations, Russia has stepped up its military deployments in its northwest. It has also decided to form a new air force and air defense army in the west to fend off potential security threats from NATO.
面对地缘政治的复杂变化和安全形势的演变，俄罗斯开始进一步加强在西北方向的军力部署。此外，俄罗斯还决定在西部战略方向，组建一个新的空军和防空集团军，由数个战斗机航空兵团、轰炸集团、陆军航空旅、防空部队及无线电技术部队组成，以对抗可能来自北约的安全威胁。
In fact, the Northern Fleet has already made a series of military moves since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. According to the Norwegian intelligence agency, vessels of Northern Fleet have started carrying tactical nuclear weapons when they set sail recently, which implies a major change in Moscow's nuclear policy, that is, nuclear weapons are given more weight now.
实际上，自俄乌冲突开始以来，俄北方舰队也已经采取了一系列的军事行动。例如，根据挪威情报局的报告，近期俄罗斯北方舰队舰艇在出海时已经开始携带战术核武器，这表明俄罗斯的核政策正在发生重大转变，核武器对俄罗斯的重要性出现大幅提高。
Forming a new combined-arms army in the Northern Fleet is also a key step taken by Russia to confront NATO in the north. Considering NATO's eastward expansion and more frequent military activities in the North Pole, Russia, through the newly formed army, will deploy mobile combat forces in more areas to assist the Northern Fleet at any time in countering possible military besiege, blockade and deterrence, which is sure to exacerbate the tension and escalate the confrontation between the two sides.
此次俄罗斯在北方舰队组建新合成集团军，也是在北部方向对抗北约力量的一项重要举措。从未来发展来看，面对北约东扩和在北极地区日益频繁的军事活动，新组建的诸兵种合成集团军将会在更多区域内部署机动性作战力量，配合北方舰队随时对北约的军事包围、军事封锁以及军事威慑进行强有力的反击，而这些也都会加剧俄罗斯与北约的紧张关系，双方的对抗程度将进一步升级。
