Icebreaker Chukotka is launched at the Baltic Yard in St. Petersburg

The Russian leader was on the line as the “Chukotka,” Russia’s fifth nuclear icebreaker of the Arktika-class, was launched at the Baltic Yard in St. Petersburg.

There was festivity on the waterfront of St.Petersburg as the Baltic Yard on 6 November launched the 173 meter long icebreaking vessel into the waters of the Gulf of Finland.

The ship was decorated with balloons in the colors of the Russian tricolor.

And on its bow was a large Russian flag decorated with smaller flags of the four Ukrainian regions partly occupied by Russian troops.

It appeared as a tacit sign of a Russian interest in bringing war and war symbols also to the northernmost parts of the world. The Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lukansk,  Zaporizhzhia and Kherson have been annexed by Russia although fierce fighting continues in the areas.

The powerful icebreaker is due to be be ready for operation in the Arctic in early 2026. It will be the fifth vessel of the Arktika-class. From before, the Sibir, Ural and Arktika are in operation. A fourth icebreaker, the Yakutia, is to be commissioned in late 2024.

Another two vessels of the kind are to be built; the Leningrad and the Stalingrad.

While Putin was watching the ceremony from his Kremlin office, there were a number of dignitaries present at the Baltic Yard. Among them were Rosatom General Director Aleksei Likhachev and presidential aide to Northwest Russia Aleksandr Gutsan.

In an address, Vladimir Putin highlighted Russia’s major interest in developing the Northern Sea Route. He also underlined that Russia needs to strengthen security in the far northern waters.

The statement comes as Russian authorities clearly are compromising security on the  Arctic shipping route. Amid mounting international sanctions, Russian companies have established so-called shadow fleets to bypass restrictions. Many of the ships are old and have insufficient standards.

Among the ships that were sailing on the Northern Sea Route in October this year, were a number of ships, including oil tankers, that had no ice-class whatsoever.

It is not the first time that Russia and its representatives in the Arctic wave the flags of occupied regions. In 2023, state company Trust Arktikugol put the flag of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic on its machinery during a 9th of May parade in Pyramiden, Svalbard.

Located in Kirkenes, Norway, just a few kilometres from the borders to Russia and Finland, the Barents Observer is dedicated to cross-border journalism in Scandinavia, Russia and the wider Arctic.

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