Russia Celebrates Completion Of Its 4th Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker

Russia has celebrated the completion of its fourth nuclear-powered icebreaker, Yakutia, with a ceremony at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.

With this achievement, Russia plans to ensure year-round shipping on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and improve accessibility in the Arctic region.

The new vessel is part of Rosatom’s strategy to handle the growing traffic in the Arctic and keep the NSR open all year round.

Yakutia is the fourth ship in the Project 22220 series and the third of its type, designed to make Arctic shipping more efficient and reliable. The Yakutia icebreaker is one of the largest nuclear-powered icebreakers in the world. It is 173 meters long and weighs 33,540 tons. The ship can break through ice up to 3 meters thick and can reach speeds of up to 22 knots in open water. It is powered by two RITM-200 nuclear reactors, each with a thermal capacity of 175 MW.

These reactors are designed to work for 40 years, reducing the downtime for refuelling. This allows the Yakutia to operate in the Arctic for extended periods without interruptions.

Rosatom also predicts that by 2024, the total cargo transported along the NSR will reach a record 38 million tons. By 2030, Rosatom expects to have 17 vessels operating on the route, further enhancing Russia’s Arctic shipping capabilities.

Construction of the Yakutia began in May 2020 with the laying of its keel at the Baltic Shipyard, and it was launched in November 2022. The ship began sea trials in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024. The sister ship, Chukotka, is still under construction, and two more icebreakers are planned for delivery by 2028 and 2030. Due to disruptions in global supply chains, the ship’s components were sourced from Russian manufacturers, as the country replaced foreign-made parts with domestic alternatives.

During the flag-raising ceremony, a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin was read, recognising the successful completion of the Yakutia. He praised the work of the Baltic Shipyard and Russian companies involved in creating the vessel.

Putin expressed confidence that Yakutia would improve Russia’s nuclear-powered fleet and help the country maintain its position as a maritime power, especially in the Arctic.