"We plan that the fifth icebreaker will be laid down in May 2024, and the sixth - in October 2025," Kulinko said.
He added that budget investments in the construction of these two icebreakers, which will operate in the waters of the Northern Sea Route, are planned in the amount of 58.9 billion rubles (over $762 million).
The Northern Sea Route, which falls inside Russia's exclusive economic zone, and is set to factor into Russia's economic plans in the future. The Northern Sea Route enables shipments to reach their destination quicker than if they traveled through the Suez Canal Route.
Typically, the route is blocked during the winter months due to weather but rising global temperatures has made it more accessible. Rosatom told Sputnik that it had been developing a plan to keep the route open year-round, though it is subject to final government approval.
"The targets of the federal project ‘Development of the Northern Sea Route’ should be achieved in 2024. Many people ask the question: what's next? State corporation Rosatom is systematically working, on behalf of the government, to extend the target indicators, milestones, and budgeting until 2030," Maxim Kulinko, Deputy Head of Rosatom’s Northern Sea Route Directorate said.
