Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the importance of consistently strengthening Russia’s position in the Arctic.
According to the Kremlin press service, the Russian head of state took part in the laying of the sixth serial universal nuclear icebreaker “Stalingrad” via videoconference, which took place at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
“We will continue, despite all the current difficulties and challenges, to increase our capabilities our icebreaker fleet, develop domestic shipbuilding, create breakthrough scientific and technological advances. The tasks before us are, without exaggeration, historical. It is important to consistently strengthen Russia’s position in the Arctic, fully realize the logistics potential of our country, ensure the development of the promising Trans-Arctic transport corridor – from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok,” he said.
Putin noted that today “Russia is actively and consistently developing its unique icebreaker fleet, replenishing it with modern equipment.”
“Russia today is the only country in the world capable of serial construction of powerful, reliable nuclear icebreakers. And what is important – on the basis of its own, domestic technologies. Thus, the icebreaker “Stalingrad” will become the sixth production ship in its project – the first four icebreakers – the lead icebreaker “Arktika” and three production ships. “Sibir”, “Ural”, “Yakutia” are already successfully keeping watch in the Arctic waters, ensuring the passage of cargo along the Northern Sea Route,” the president said.
According to him, the construction of two more icebreakers of this series – “Chukotka” and “Leningrad” – continues at the Baltic Shipyard and there is still a large amount of work ahead.
According to the Kremlin, the ceremony was also attended by the general director of the state corporation for atomic energy “Rosatom” Alexey Likhachev, General Director of JSC “United Shipbuilding Corporation” Andrey Puchkov, Governor of the Volgograd Region Andrey Bocharov, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Igor Rudenya, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.
The icebreaker “Stalingrad” will become the sixth serial ship in project 22220. The first four are the lead The icebreaker “Arktika” and three serial vessels “Sibir”, “Ural”, “Yakutia” are already on duty in Arctic waters. The construction of two icebreakers of this series – “Chukotka” and “Leningrad” – continues. Icebreakers of Project 22220 are equipped with a highly efficient new-generation reactor plant “RITM-200”, have a length of 173.3 meters, a width of 34 meters, a height of 15.2 meters, a power of 60 MW, a speed of 22 knots in clear water, and can overcome ice up to three meters thick. In total, the nuclear icebreaker fleet of the Russian Federation includes 34 diesel and 8 nuclear icebreakers.