Editing North Pole (section)

====2007 descent to the North Pole seabed====
{{Main|Arktika 2007}}
[[File:Mir front.jpg|thumb|Russian [[MIR (submersible)|MIR submersible]], one of the two vehicles that were used in [[Arktika 2007|the first ever manned descent to the seabed under the North Pole]]]]
On 2 August 2007 a Russian scientific expedition [[Arktika 2007]] made the first ever manned descent to the ocean floor at the North Pole, to a depth of {{convert|4.3|km|abbr=on}}, as part of the research programme in support of Russia's [[Territorial claims in the Arctic#2001 Russian claim|2001 extended continental shelf claim]] to a large swathe of the Arctic Ocean floor. The descent took place in two [[MIR (submersible)|MIR submersible]]s and was led by Soviet and Russian polar explorer [[Artur Chilingarov]]. In a symbolic act of visitation, the [[Flag of Russia|Russian flag]] was placed on the ocean floor exactly at the Pole.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20081221152823/http://www.aari.nw.ru/docs/press_release/20070709_fedorov.html «Академик Федоров» – выходит из порта Санкт-Петербург в экспедицию «Арктика-2007»]. Press release of the [[AARI]] (9 July 2007).</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6927395.stm Russia plants flag under N Pole] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013154713/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6927395.stm |date=13 October 2007 }}, BBC News (2 August 2007).</ref><ref>{{in lang|ru}} [http://news.ntv.ru/114406/video/ News video of the Russian descent at the North Pole] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223093114/http://news.ntv.ru/114406/video/ |date=23 December 2008 }}</ref>

The expedition was the latest in a series of efforts intended to give Russia a dominant influence in the [[Arctic]] according to ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>[http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/russias-north-pole-obsession/ Russia’s North Pole Obsession] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013160922/http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/russias-north-pole-obsession/ |date=13 October 2007 }}, The New York Times (2 August 2007).</ref>