February 6, 2026: Russia is having problems building new icebreaker ships because of the Ukraine War related economic sanctions. Despite the sanctions, Russia wants to build as many as 17 nuclear powered icebreakers. Achieving that goal depends on getting out from under the sanctions. That means negotiating an end to the Ukraine War. With nuclear powered icebreakers Russia can keep the Northern Sea Route/NSR that stretches across northern Russia from Archangel and Murmansk to Vladivostok.

Russia, the country with the longest Arctic Ocean shoreline, has long been the largest producer and user of icebreaking ships. Currently there are nearly 200 icebreakers in service worldwide. This degree of activity not only replaces older icebreakers nearing retirement age but is also increasing the worldwide icebreaker fleet. Russia operates 40 icebreakers, the largest number of any nation.

While Russia is the largest builder and user of icebreakers, they owe much to Finland. Since World War II Finland has led the world in developing more efficient icebreaker designs. One icebreaker innovation Finland did not develop was the armed combat icebreaker. Russia has already built one armed icebreaker, the 9,000-ton Papanin.

The Papanin joined the Northern Fleet, near the Arctic Circle, in late 2025. Construction of the Papanin began in 2017. Armament consists of a 76mm gun, four 12.7mm machine-guns and two 30mm multi barrel Close In Weapons/CIWS for defense against missiles or small surface vessels. There is also space onboard for Uran anti-ship and Kalibr land attack missiles. Four more Papanins are under construction.

The Papanins have a top speed of 33 kilometers an hour and a max range of 19,000 kilometers at a speed of 19 kilometers an hour. These ships are designed to break through ice up to 1.7 meters thick. Maximum endurance on internal fuel and crew supplies is 70 days. The ship crew is 60 with accommodations for another 50 specialists and observers. A helicopter is carried with a hanger to shelter the helicopter from harsh Arctic weather. There are also two small Raptor class patrol boats that can carry 23 people or just the crew of three and over a ton of supplies or equipment. Some small drones can also be carried. There is room for adding sonar and anti-submarine torpedoes. Papanin is similar to current unarmed Norwegian and Canadian icebreakers.

Papanin is armed to protect traffic on the 5,600 kilometer long Russian NSR that links East Asia with Northern Europe. This Arctic sea lane passes along the exclusively Russian northern coast. Russia wants to maintain control of this corridor even though large parts of it are in international seas, outside Russian coastal waters. Russia also has several land bases along this route. These bases are controlled by the Russian Northern Fleet which has assigned over 10,000 troops, more than a hundred aircraft and several dozen warships and submarines to protect the NSR.

As of 2025 the NSR could accommodate nearly 600 merchant ships a year and that capacity is steadily increasing. Because of the ice and Arctic storms, this route can be treacherous. Safety is achieved if the Russians can maintain enough land bases and ports along the route to monitor weather and sea conditions and provide ports if commercial ships must seek temporary refuge. The Northern Sea Route cuts the time required by a third for ships carrying cargo between East Asia and Northern Europe. China and Russia are two major users of this route and Russia wants to increase the safety and security of this route to encourage heavier use. Russia does not charge a fee to use the Northern Sea Route even though Russia has spent billions of dollars to build and maintain this route.