The icebreaker is the fifth ship in the Russian fleet to participate in this ambitious project.
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The 173 meter long ship launched from a shipyard in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, is named after the region of Tchoukotkain the Russian Far East.
By video link from the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the great potential of this icebreaker to face the difficult conditions of the Arctic and climate change.
He described it as an essential element for major development projects in the Northern Sea Route.
This waterway is the shortest between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region and therefore a strategic issue for Moscow.
It is only navigable in summer. But navigation channels are being opened by gigantic Russian icebreakers to extend the navigation period as much as possible.
“Its operation will significantly contribute to the development of the Russian transport network and make the Northern Sea Route attractive for Russian cargo ships and our partners abroad. I am convinced that the Northern Sea Route will continue to gain ground year by year. Not only due to climate change, but also due to the growing capabilities of the Russian fleet », Said Vladimir Putin.
He also stressed that Russia was to strengthen security in the northern waters.
These statements come as Russian authorities are clearly undermining security in the Arctic. Faced with international sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, the country is mobilizing “ghost fleets”, often dilapidated and non-standard vessels, to circumvent the restrictions by making them venture into a particularly hostile environment.
