The Emergencies Ministry has brought the number of its workers in the Arctic to 18,000, RIA Novosti quotes Minister Vladimir Puchkov as saying at a government meeting.

"Four Arctic rescue centers have already been placed on high alert," he added.

The Russian Arctic has nuclear power plants, mooring spots for nuclear-powered icebreakers and nuclear warships, hazardous chemical installations, fire and explosion dangerous facilities, and major elements of communications, which could trigger a self-inflicted disaster.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, over a hundred emergencies take place in the Russian Arctic every year. Importantly, self-inflicted calamities are happening increasingly more often. The number of transportation accidents account for 30 percent of emergencies and that of explosions and fires at technical facilities for 24 percent.

The ministry plans to build 10 integrated emergency response centers in the Arctic: in Dudinka, Murmansk, Naryan-Mar, Arkhangelsk, Nadym, Vorkuta, Tiksi, Pevek, Provideniya and Anadyr. They will be in a state of constant readiness to immediately respond to any emergency in the Arctic.