Russia has Built Only One Icebreaker Since Putin Began His Expanded War in Ukraine

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Sept. 22 – In the more than three years since Putin began his expanded war in Ukraine, Russian yards have built only one new icebreaker far fewer than the one a year they had been building prior to that time and far less than Moscow needs to ensure the Northern Sea Route carries the amount of freight Putin has called for.

            And that reduction in new construction compounds Russia’s problems in this sector because three of its existing icebreakers are so old that they are slated to go out of service in the next two years, according to a survey of the situation conducted by the BBC’s Russian Service (bbc.com/russian/articles/c5yjg68yv1vo).

            While Russia has more icebreakers than any other country, its lead is threatened by its reduction in the building of new ones and the fact that 19 of the 45 icebreakers it now has are more than 40 years old and need frequent maintenance which means they cannot perform their duties.

            These problems reflect longstanding problems in the Russian shipbuilding industry ranging from corruption to a shortage of drydocks and other facities, all of which have been intensified by sanctions that mean Moscow can’t acquire all the electronics it needs to ensure that its vessels are truly up to date.

            Such difficulties are not immediately fatal to Russian aspirations, but they should be kept in mind given Putin’s claims about Russian progress in building new icebreakers and achieving his goals in the still-ice bound Arctic and especially in the eastern portion of the Northern Sea Route where icebreakers are still required for almost all shipping.