There have been persistent rumors for decades over Soviet special operations running training and recon missions in Alaska for decades. Heck for that matter, around 2003ish, I met one of the group leaders who was doing it. He spoke good enough English that he figured he would check out the rest of the US and Canadian western states when his term of service ended. He funded his little trip with the clever importing of (then) current issue Russian "replica" guns through Canada. AK 100 series rifles with the side folding. Stocks and different sighting and optic setup, solid non-bored barrels and buggered bolt and gas systems, but good recievers and trunions. He had managed to get a bunch stuff imported through Canada.

As it was, at the time, I passed on his $1600 non functioning AKs. I finally offered $1200 for one just to keep him hanging around and hear his stories. Thought I would impress him with my 5.45 krink, but he said those were not used nearly as much by their SF and were seen as a truck drivers weapon.

So basically, Alaska and parts of Canada have been a Russioan spec ops playground for so long they even contract hunting guides and R&R excursions, but it's always barter of some sort, they rarely have cash and the officers pay equivalents look like US NCO pay. The captain made around $2500 a month and with some side hustling, could do $5k with the right connections.

As for who is or is not friends, might want to brush up on your John Titor theory, it was likely a bullshit story one its own, or one of those alternate reality timeline things, but the theory, that's not entirely bullshit. A lot of Alaskans could weigh the issues of a Hillary run government vs Putin and start thinking that open trade with Siberia might benefit them.