Nuclear Icebreaker Yakutia Completes Maiden Escort on Northern Sea Route

28 Apr 2025 CW Team

On 19 April 2025, the nuclear icebreaker Yakutia, operated by Atomflot, successfully completed its maiden escort mission for the Grigory Shelekhov motorship. The escort operation began at the edge of the ice near Cape Zhelaniya on 8 April and concluded at Sever Bay of the Yenisei Gulf, with Yakutia covering a total distance of 367 nautical miles.

The Northern Sea Route is the shortest shipping link between Western Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region, stretching approximately 5,600 kilometres. It passes through the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi Seas, and serves key Arctic ports such as Sabetta, Dikson, Dudinka, Khatanga, Tiksi, and Pevek.

Yakutia’s maiden voyage demonstrated strong performance through the Kara Sea and Yenisei Bay, navigating ice thicknesses up to one metre. The successful mission supports the strategic development of Russia's Arctic maritime infrastructure.

Rosatom, the parent company overseeing Atomflot, is a major diversified energy and engineering holding. It leads in nuclear power plant construction, renewable energy projects, and environmental sustainability, producing about 20 per cent of Russia’s total electricity output through low-carbon sources.

Source: Press Release, April 25, 2025

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