Russia's newest nuclear-powered icebreaker sails for homeport in Murmansk

A new Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker built by Russia's Baltic Shipyard for local operator Rosatom has departed Baltic Shipyard's outfitting embankment and is en route to its new homeport in Murmansk.

Yakutia had completed undergoing its final series of necessary tests late last month and is now ready to deploy operationally. The vessel's journey will see it transit the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Barents Sea, and finally Kola Bay where it will be moored.

The vessel is the fourth icebreaker to be built under Project 22220, which was originally designed in the 1990s to replace Russia's ageing fleet of icebreakers, nearly all of which were still dependent on 1960s technology.

Design work on the Project 22220 icebreakers progressed to the point that they became the largest vessels of their kind ever built, with each vessel displacing approximately 33,000 tonnes and measuring 173.3 metres long and 34 metres wide.

Yakutia will be operated by Rosatom through its icebreaking arm Atomflot. The vessel has a projected service life of 40 years and its main area of operations will encompass the western Arctic regions off Russia.