MOSCOW: Russia has struck oil in the eastern Arctic in an important step for its ambition to turn the polar region into a strategic energy source. Rosneft, the state-owned oil giant, confirmed that drilling teams had found a field under the remote Laptev Sea, about 2,300 miles from Moscow.
The discovery was hailed as evidence that Russia can proceed with the development of one of the harshest areas of the Arctic despite the estern sanctions imposed after the Ukraine crisis, which deny Moscow access to offshore technology. President Putin said last week that the Arctic was “an extremely important region which will ensure the future of our country”.
