Transfer of forces to Russia's new Arctic command to be completed by mid-December

Forces of the Western, Central and Eastern Military Districts will be transferred to the new united strategic command in the Arctic by December 15.
The entire Northern Fleet will be transferred to the command, a high-ranking defense ministry source told TASS on Wednesday.
The fleet will remain at its bases, but will be transferred in full, including Pechenga-based Brigade 200 of ground troops, which joined the Northern Fleet forces earlier, he said.
Partially Command One of the air force and the air defense with its units and the infrastructure, partially Command Two and Command Three of the Central and Eastern military Districts and some other forces will be transferred by the date, he added.
Russia will create first of two brigades destined for a new Arctic united strategic command already by late March 2015, the source told TASS.
“Facilities of military and social infrastructure in a military township in Alakurtti (northern Russia’s Murmansk region) where this brigade will be based are about to be built. Decrees for appointments to high posts are issued for all its command officers, but no one is appointed yet, because housing is not yet built for servicemen, though work is in full swing. Construction is expected to end in March 2015. A military formation is planned to form completely by the end of this month,” the high-placed military source said.
The command staff of the brigade is taking advanced training at military training centers, he added.
Asked about progress in setting up a second Arctic brigade the source noted that its exact deployment place has not yet been determined, though it will be stationed in Russia’s Arctic Yamal-Nenets autonomous area. “It is only clear that according to plans a brigade should be created in 2016,” the source added.