The keel-laying ceremony for the seventh nuclear icebreaker of Project 22220, named "Stalingrad", took place at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg on November 18, the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) press service reported.
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin took part in the solemn ceremony via video conference. The head of state said that Russia continues to replenish its icebreaker fleet with modern equipment.
Andrey Puchkov, General Director of USC, also emphasized that the country has reached record levels of productivity - the construction time of icebreakers has been reduced from seven to five years. This was achieved through the integration of an advanced production system and the transition to large-block construction technologies.
Rosatom's icebreaker fleet includes eight nuclear icebreakers. These include "50 Let Pobedy", "Yamal", Project 22220 icebreakers "Arktika", "Sibir", "Ural" and "Yakutia. The company continues to build Project 22220 icebreakers "Chukotka", "Leningrad", as well as the nuclear technological service vessel Project 22770 "Vladimir Vorobyov."
Earlier www1.ru reported that the icebreakers "Leningrad" and "Stalingrad" may cost 30% more than the current cost.
