On April 2, the Russian TV website published an article titled "Icebreaker: How Russia's nuclear-powered fleet surpassed its opponents", authored by Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Russian Military Network. The content is compiled as follows:

  At the 6th Arctic Forum held in Murmansk at the end of March, Russian President Putin announced that Moscow will work to expand its nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet.

  Putin said: "Russia already has the largest icebreaker fleet in the world. We must further consolidate this position and activate advanced icebreakers, especially Russia's unique nuclear-powered icebreakers." He emphasized that "no country's such fleet can match it."

  On April 2, the fourth 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Yakut, completed the sea trial and advanced along the northern sea channel.

  The Yakut is one of the most powerful nuclear-powered icebreakers in the world. The 22220 icebreaker began construction in 2013 and plans to build at least 7 ships. The first ship, the Arctic, was included in the navy in 2020 and became the flagship of Russia's contemporary Arctic exploration mission. Following closely behind are the "Siberia" that was launched in 2021 and the "Ural" that was launched in 2022. Two other ships are under construction, namely the Chukotka and the Kamchatka. The seventh "Sakhalin" is scheduled to lay keels later this year. These icebreakers were built in the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg and were funded by the Russian National Nuclear Powered Ship Company.

  These advanced nuclear-powered icebreakers are designed specifically to deal with harsh Arctic environments and can break ice up to 3 meters thick. Their unique hull design improves maneuverability in extreme cold and ice-rich environments. They are equipped with two nuclear reactors with a total power of 60 megawatts and can reach months of self-sustaining at sea.

  Today, this type of icebreaker represents the most powerful and most efficient icebreaker in the world. Importantly, Russia has greatly reduced its dependence on imported parts, with the domestic production rate of parts as high as 92%. Ultimately, Russia hopes to achieve complete self-sufficiency of parts in the future construction of nuclear icebreakers.

  The 22220 icebreaker is widely used and can be used for ocean navigation and river navigation. Their design integrates the advantages of previous generations of icebreakers, such as the offshore Arctic and the Temel, which specializes in icebreaking on rivers. The adjustable ballast water tank can be filled with sea water to increase draft and improve ice breaking ability.

  Currently, the Russian Nuclear Powered Ship Company operates nine nuclear-powered icebreakers: the nuclear-powered transport ship "Seffmoorput", two river icebreakers (Temel and Vaigachi), several marine icebreakers (such as the Yamal and the 50-year victory), and the latest 22220 icebreakers.

  These icebreakers provided support for the rapid development of the Russian Arctic region and the establishment of navigation along the northern sea route from Murmansk to Kamchatka.

  In addition to nuclear-powered icebreakers, Russia also retains some conventional icebreakers and is building four non-nuclear-powered 23550 icebreakers. This fleet greatly enhances Russia's ability to sail at sea throughout the Arctic region throughout the year, ensures the safety of conventional shipping, and safeguards its own interests in the region.

  The Arctic has abundant natural resource reserves—oil, gas, minerals and fishery resources, which could have a significant impact on the global economy. It also provides strategic advantages for opening cross-continental routes. Russia's northern sea route can greatly shorten the trade distance between Europe and Asia, connecting China, Japan, Europe and the east coast of the United States. Nuclear-powered icebreakers are crucial to leading ships through the Arctic ice safely.

  Recently, the United States has proposed a discussion on the geopolitical status of Greenland. Apparently, the United States, which is lagging behind in Arctic exploration, is trying to regain influence. However, the United States currently lacks a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet comparable to Russia, and even traditional icebreakers face challenges, which severely limits its capabilities in the Arctic. (Translated by Liu Zongya)

  Russia's third 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker "Ural" (AP data photo)

[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]