Sources at nuclear power agency Rosatom told the Kommersant daily that the deal for two 60-megawatt (MW) nuclear-powered vessels worth more than 86bn ($2.41bn) could go to in-house companies.

Baltiysky is already building a first 60-MW icebreaker for Rosatom.

It was thought to be the only bidder for the new order.

If Rosatom itself wins the contract, it could sub-contract to Vyborg Shipyard or Finland's Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, which is Russian-owned.