Russia has been forging ahead with shipments through the Arctic waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in February despite tough ice conditions as it moves to open up the Arctic passage year-round.

State nuclear agency Rosatom said its subsidiary Atomflot FSUE’s lead nuclear-powered ice breaker Arktika (built 2020) began escorting the multipurpose vessels — the 7,049-dwt Inzhener Trubin (built 1998) and 7,365-dwt Polar King (built 1994) — from the port of Pevek on 9 February.