According to information released by the Russian press agency TASS on October 15, 2021, five icebreakers and three versatile vessels designed for the delivery of military cargo to garrisons in the Extreme North will be built by 2033 under the Russian auxiliary fleet development program, Russian Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics Andrei Yefimov said at a roundtable meeting in the Federation Council.
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Artist rendering of future Yevpaty Kolovrat icebreaker for Russian Navy. (Picture source Wikipedia)
“The Russian auxiliary fleet development program through 2033 envisages the construction of five icebreakers and three versatile vessels with a cargo-carrying capacity of 6,000 tons each and 1-meter ice protection structures. This will allow the auxiliary fleet to deliver cargo to the Extreme North,” Yefimov said.
Also, the new icebreaker Yevpaty Kolovrat is planned to join the Navy in 2022. As it was reported earlier, the vessel is being built under upgraded project 21180M. The icebreaker has a smaller hull and shallow draft. It will be equipped with an advanced Zaliv-LK-21180 automated control system.
According to Yefimov, up to 50 percent of the cargo transported to garrisons in the Extreme North by sea are delivered along the Northern Sea Route. That is why, two vessels, namely, the Elbrus that can negotiate an ice cap of 80 cm thick and the Ilya Muromets diesel-electric icebreaker, were made operational with the Russian Navy’s auxiliary fleet in 2017.
“After cargo is delivered, the vessels are actively used on their way back,” Yefimov said. According to him, they are used to remove scrap metal collected by Defense Ministry units.
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