Russia is making a move to fight the US for conquest of the moon's south pole and its resources, the US publication Politico believes.

"If the mission succeeds, it will be a huge technological and scientific achievement," said Tim Marshall, author of "The Future of Geography," a book on the geopolitics of space. He argues that a successful Russian landing and a year of exploration would be a big step in plans to build a lunar base with China by the 2030s."

@Slavyangrad