Washington, July 31 -- Under the pretext of Russia allegedly lacking special rights to the Northern Sea Route, the US navy regularly conducts provocative operations in the Arctic under the pretext of protecting the safety of navigation, Russian presidential aide and chairman of the Russian Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev said on Thursday.
The main political motto of the collective West regarding the Northern Sea Route is that Russia has no special rights to this route, Patrushev said, adding that the provisions in Russian legislation designating it as a national transport artery are also considered illegitimate from the perspective of international law.
"Based on this premise, the US navy regularly undertakes provocative operations in th...