Russian authorities recently announced plans for phase two of developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a maritime route measuring about 5,600km that connects Asia and Europe.
According to Russian Deputy PM Yuri Trutnev, this development was part of President Vladimir Putin's larger plans to establish a trans-Arctic transport corridor, for which Moscow plans to construct 10 icebreakers and 46 rescue vessels to support the existing fleet engaged with NSR activities.
Did you know Canada has the 2nd largest icebreaker fleet in the world, after Russia? In addition to its large coast guard fleet, last year the 6th Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy. Icebreakers are essential for logistical capacity… pic.twitter.com/vXbXOuqAuz
— Heather Exner-Pirot (@ExnerPirot) January 12, 2026
The Russian government has also planned to develop three rescue fleet bases along the NSR, which Trutnev has said would help maintain year-round operations along the Arctic route, as per a Maritime Executive report.
What is the NSR?
The Northern Sea Route, which runs along Russia's Arctic coastline from the Kara Sea to the Bering Strait, could in theory shorten transit times between Asia and Europe by up to 40 per cent compared to the Suez Canal.
For example, a container ship sailing from Shanghai to Hamburg currently takes about a month via the Suez Canal, while a similar voyage along the NSR could take less than 20 days (under favourable weather conditions).
Declining cargo traffic
This comes as Moscow faces its second consecutive decline in cargo traffic along the route, owing to seasonal navigability, insurance and icebreaker costs, and limited port infrastructure, as well as geopolitical and sanctions-related risks.
37.02 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo was transported via the NSR in 2025, a 2.3 per cent decline from 2024, a Moscow Times report said, citing an analysis by a consultancy named Gecon.
However, cargo levels had risen to 38 MMT by 2024, which was still far off from the Kremlin's original targets of 80 MMT by 2024 and 200 MMT by 2030 as mandated in a 2018 presidential decree.
Progress so far
The report also cites Rosatom, which oversees NSR-related activities. According to the state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Moscow's NSR fleet currently contains eight nuclear-powered icebreakers in service.
🇷🇺 Russian President Putin says "no country in the world has the power that we have in terms of icebreakers, and we're going even further." pic.twitter.com/kGEIWcQmMy
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 15, 2026
This includes three older vessels—the 1989-built Taymyr (IMO: 8417481), the 1990-built Vaygach (IMO: 8417493), and the 50 Let Pobedy (IMO: 9152959), commissioned in 2007. The remaining include newer, larger vessels under Project 22220, which were built from 2020 onwards.
Each of the Project 22220 ships measure 173m in length and are powered by two commercial reactors that have a thermal capacity of 175MW. These can also reportedly reach a top speed of 22 knots and can break through ice blocks up to three metres thick.
Notably, shipbuilding is a key aspect out of 155 others that have been identified, which aim to transform the NSR into a trans-Arctic transport corridor over the next decade.
