Russian President Vladimir Putin, via video link from Moscow, gave the command to launch the nuclear icebreaker Chukotka. The ceremony took place at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
The Director General of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, Andrei Puchkov, reported to the head of state on the icebreaker's readiness for launching.
After that, the command "cut the retainer" was heard, and then the workers dismantled the retaining devices. A few minutes later, the icebreaker went into the water, and Putin and the other participants in the ceremony greeted it with applause.
The entire domestic economy should develop on the basis of its own technologies and breakthrough scientific solutions. Let me emphasize again that the implementation of our plans for the development of the Arctic territories and the increase in cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route directly depends on strengthening the country's icebreaker fleet.
The Chukotka icebreaker is a Project 22220 vessel built by the Rosatom State Corporation at the Baltic Shipyard. Previously, the company produced the lead vessel Arktika, as well as the serial icebreakers Ural and Siberia.
The universal nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220 are the most powerful and largest icebreaking vessels in the world. They contribute to the socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of Russia and play a key role in ensuring year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route.
Characteristics of nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220:
- Icebreaker length — 174 m
- Width — 34 m
- Draft — up to 10.5 m
- Displacement — 33.5 thousand tons
- Crew — 54 people
- Service life — up to 40 years
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