Russains lay claim to North Pole by sticking a flag under the ice
Two deep-diving Russian mini-submarines descended more than 2 1/2 miles under North Pole ice to stake a flag on the ocean floor Thursday, part of a quest to bolster Russian claims to much of the Arctic's oil-and-mineral wealth.
Despite the dangers of diving under 5-foot thick polar ice, both mini-submarines returned safely to the surface Thursday afternoon, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported, quoting Vice President of Federation of Polar Explorers, Vladimir Strugatsky.
The Mir-1 resurfaced after spending eight hours and 40 minutes under water and the Mir-2 mini-sub returned an hour later, Strugatsky said, according to Tass.
"It was so good down there," expedition leader Artur Chilingarov, 68, a famed polar scientist said after coming back. "If someone else goes down there in 100 or 1,000 years, he will see our Russian flag."
The voyage has some scientific goals, including studies of the climate, geology and biology of the polar region. But its chief aim appeared to be to advancing Russia's political and economic influence by strengthening its legal claims to the Arctic.
Expedition organizers said the greatest risk facing the six crew members, three on each vessel, was being trapped under the ice and running out of air. Each sub had a 72-hour air supply.
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Russains lay claim to North Pole by sticking a flag under the ice
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