Russia studying arctic to bolster claim

MOSCOW, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Russia is expanding its research on the Arctic Ocean floor to back its claim to resources there, an official said Saturday.

Daria Vasilevskaya, No. 2 in the Geology Department of the Natural Resources Ministry, told RIA Novosti the new work was needed since previous expeditions used military equipment and were kept secret.

The study was conducted aboard the ship Akademik Fyodorov from July through October, Vasilevskaya said.

Russia submitted a territorial claim for the Lomonosov Ridge to the United Nations in 2001, but it was rejected for a lack of evidence. Norway, Canada, Denmark and the United States also have staked claims to the mineral-rich undersea territory.

The countries are seeking proof that the territory is an underwater extension of their continental shelves.

"Russia submitted a claim to the U.N. without specifying the methods of research and without disclosing the technical characteristics of the equipment used, but this did not satisfy the U.N.," Vasilevskaya said.

Russia plans to resubmit its claim in 2014.