EXTENDED CONTINENTAL SHELF:

RUSSIA CLAIMS FOR ARCTIC OCEAN

ntroduction of Arctic Ocean
Known as the coldest of all the oceans
Average depth: 3,240 feet (987 m) [1]
Area: 14,056,000 km2
Surrounded by land masses of: [2]
1. Eurasia (Russia and Norway)
2. North America (Canada and the U.S. state of Alaska)
3. Island of Greenland (Kingdom of Denmark)
4. Iceland

hronology

December 20, 2001 -

Russia lodged a submission with the CLCS

delineating outer limits for its continental shelf
[3]
extending into the

Arctic Ocean.
-Was supplemented by the
presentation of
relevant scientific data.
Figure 1 show the circle of Arctic Ocean
-Russia designated an extensive area almost
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, December 6). Arctic Circle.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle half the size of the Arctic Ocean.

WHY RUSSIA CLAIMS

In 2002 -

CLCS returned the

submission and

ARCTIC OCEAN
[6]
requested a revised one with more data.

August 2015 -

ARCTIC RESOURCES Russia provided additional data. [4]

Arctic resources especially liquefied and -Covered the seabed from

200nm limit of EEZ

gaseous, also minerals discovered beneath to approximately 100,000 km 2 more than the

the sea within Arctic Ocean. country's 2001 submission.

Fisheries competition
February 9, 2016

Formally submitted a revised

MILITARY INTEREST

application to CLCS.
1. To strengthen security system and increase
exercises frequency of securing Kola March 31 2021 -

Peninsula.

Submissions, addenda to the 2015 revised

2. NATO’s eastern flank
conflict problem in submission.
determining outcome. -Further enlargement of
the continental shelf
3. Region and wide borders whose only by some 705,000 km2 .

protection is provided. -Russia's ECS as proposed would encompass

70% of the Arctic Ocean beyond the coastal
states' EEZ. [5]
OTHER COUNTRIES THAT CLAIM
FOR ARCTIC OCEAN
[7]

orway's Claim enmark's Claim

Summited a claim to the CLCS: 2006 Summited a claim to the CLCS: 2013

First country to receive recommendations in 2009 Full claim: 2018

Norway's ECS: 235,000 km2 Denmark (Greenland)'s ECS: 895,000 km2

anada's Claim 's Claim

Partial summited to the CLCS: 2013 Has not ratified UNCLOS

Full claim: 2018 Cannot claims for Continental Shelf

Canada's ECS: 1,200,000 km2 Accepts UNCLOS as customary international law

REFLECTION
Related
ARTICLE 83 Militarizing a region that clearly does not
ARTICLE 76
require militarization for these reasons

REFERENCES:
ARTICLE 234
makes little logical sense. As a result, other
reasons for military activity in the Arctic that
1. Developer. (2021, July 19). Arctic Ocean Facts for Kids. are not directly related to the Arctic are
Facts Just for Parents, Teachers and Students. possible. The true motivations of Russia for
https://www.factsjustforkids.com/water-facts/ocean-
the Arctic extend beyond the simple
facts-for-kids/arctic-ocean-facts/
2. Wikipedia contributors. (2022, December 15). Arctic economics of regional natural resource
Ocean. Wikipedia. extraction. A global perspective will reveal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Ocean Russia's strategic thinking.
3. Governing Ocean Resources. (2013). Google Books,
Helmut Tuerk. VI. THE ARCTIC AND THE MODERN
LAW OF THE SEA. Page 134.
Russia's military capabilities in the Arctic
https://books.google.com.my/books?id=6GKB4Lh7Sx8C must be closely monitored as they evolve and
4. UNCLOS - Annex II. expand. In the Arctic, sovereignty equates to
https://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/documents/ann security and stability. Respecting others'
ex2.htm
national sovereignty while retaining the
5. DeGeorge, K. (2021, April 5). Russia extends its claim
to the Arctic Ocean seabed. ArcticToday.
ability to enforce one's own will reduce the
https://www.arctictoday.com/russia-extends-its-claim- likelihood of armed conflict in the Arctic.
to-the-arctic-ocean-seabed/?wallit_nosession=1
6. Stronski, E. R., Richard Sokolsky, Paul, & Stronski, E. No country has ever expanded beyond its
R., Richard Sokolsky, Paul. (2021, March 29). Russia in
borders. Russia claims the entire Canadian
the Arctic—A Critical Examination. Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace. and Danish continental shelves as part of
https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/03/29/russia-in- their continental shelf in this case. Thus,
arctic-critical-examination-pub-84181 Russia has no new legal status in the newly
7. Tolpa Studios . C.S Claim in Arctic Ocean. created overlap areas.
https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/06/TAI-Infographic-
ContinentalShelfClaims.pdf 2210470 . 2210478