Icebreakers Krasin, Vladivostok, Admiral Makarov and Viktor Chernomyrdin of FSUE “Rosmorport” have successfully completed operations in the waterways of the Northern Sea Route under an agreement with FSUE “Atomflot” during the winter-and-spring navigation of 2023/24, having performed a total of 220 icebreaker operations.

From December to June, the Krasin icebreaker of the Murmansk Branch of the enterprise provided icebreaker assistance services for vessels along the Northern Sea Route, including renewal and creation of ice channels in the Kara Sea, as well as being on call while waiting for the vessels to approach and get ready. Vladivostok icebreaker of the North-Western Basin Branch started providing icebreaker assistance services for vessels in December and completed them in July. The icebreaker performed icebreaker operations from the western ice edge of the Kara Sea, as well as in the adjacent ice-covered areas of the Barents Sea to the Yenisei Bay and back.

Summing up the results of the work performed, the FSUE “GlavSevmorput” Maritime Operations Headquarters (MOH) expressed gratitude to Roman Mogilyan, Captain of the Krasin icebreaker, and Viktor Grechanyuk, Captain of the Vladivostok icebreaker, for their professionalism, composure and competence in vessels management while performing tasks in difficult ice conditions.

“All marine operations related to icebreaker assistance were aimed at the highest results and put the safety of navigation first,” said Vladimir Arutyunyan, First Deputy General Director and Head of MOH.

He emphasized that the successful performance was provided, in particular, by daily interaction between the crews of the FSUE “Rosmorport” icebreakers and MOH specialists, which was based on trust.

From December to May, the Admiral Makarov icebreaker of the Murmansk Branch also rendered services on the Northern Sea Route. The vessel operated in the western part of the Northern Sea Route in the water area of the Kara Sea, including the Yenisei district up to the border of the seaport of Dudinka, and, among other operations, renewed and created ice channels in the Yenisei River up through the border of the seaport of Dudinka, as well as was on call while waiting for the vessels to approach and get ready.

The flagship of the icebreaker fleet of FSUE “Rosmorport” — the world's most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker Viktor Chernomyrdin — entered the Arctic in April 2024, having previously successfully worked in the Gulf of Finland during the winter navigation of 2023/24, and returned to St. Petersburg in June 2024. The icebreaker of the North-Western Basin Branch of the enterprise provided icebreaker assistance services for vessels in the western part of the water area of the Northern Sea Route.

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The Northern Sea Route is currently the shortest sea route between the European part of the Russian Federation and the Far East, the route of geostrategic importance. The Northern Sea Route is almost twice as short as the distance of transportation through the Suez Canal, which makes it attractive for cargo transit.

The Northern Sea Route water area is the water space adjacent to the northern coast of the Russian Federation and encompassing the internal sea waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation. The length of the Northern Sea Route from the Kara Gate to Providence Bay is approximately 5,600 km.

In 2018, the Government of the Russian Federation delegated the powers of the infrastructure operator of the Northern Sea Route to Rosatom State Corporation. The development of the Northern Sea Route as one of the most important logistics corridors is a strategic priority for the state, and enterprises of Rosatom State Corporation are actively involved in this process.