Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin

- Within the coming year and a half we should make a decision on further decommissioning of icebreaking fleet and additional building of the third and the forth serial icebreakers. Will discuss it separately considering the growing volumes of the Northern Sea Route and our plans on the development of offshore fields in the Arctic.

There is another interesting issue – Krylov State Research Center. Its work is in process and by the end of 2015, it is to complete the creation of the Leader Icebreake which is to have a doubled power, 110 to 130 MW. It can escort convoys of vessels, at least 200,000 t in deadweight. It can break though ice of over 4 meters in thickness against some 3-2.8 meters normal for the current series of icebreakers.

In fact, operation of such icebreakers in the Arctic will let us ensure smooth round-the-year navigation along the Northern Sea Route in any ice situation, which is certainly a high competitive advantage for us.

... All the works on the creation of Russia’s fleet of icebreakers, its revival, comply closely with our plans on national security in the Arctic region, our social and economic documents. All this is under direct control of ... the state committee for Arctic development.

Transcript from the meeting of Vladimir Putin with Government members