Russia's new nuclear-powered icebreaker, Arktika, has started its first operational voyage. The vessel left the port of Murmansk on 14 November, headed towards the Kara Sea. It will operate in the waters of the Northern Sea Route until mid-December.

"The first working voyage is a special event for the ship's crew and our entire enterprise," said Leonid Irlitsa, first deputy general director and director of shipping at Atomflot, adding that the first leg of its journey will take three weeks. "The process of ice formation is actively under way in the Arctic so now we have the opportunity to test the icebreaker," he said.

After the completion of the voyage, Arktika will return to the port of Murmansk to replenish supplies and at the end of December it will return to the Northern Sea Route. It will carry out winter-spring navigation in the Arctic.

Arktika is the first of three LK-60 icebreakers, which are dual-draught (8.55 or 10.5m) wide-beam (34m) ships of 25,450 dwt or 33,540 dwt with ballast, able to handle 3m of ice. They each have two RITM-200 reactors of 175 MWt each, delivering 60 MWe at the propellers via twin turbine-generators and three motors. Sibir is expected to enter operation in 2021 and Ural in 2022.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News