Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the Russian military threat in the High North.

Russia's Arctic Command has increased its military presence and activity in the High North. Russian submarine patrols in the North Atlantic are now at a higher level than at any time since the end of the cold war. Russia also conducts regular strategic bomber training missions in the region.

These actions are legal and Russia currently acts within existing conventions, engaging with the Arctic Council and respecting the rulings of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We would be concerned if in the future Russia changed its stance and chose to interfere with our freedom of navigation in the High North.