The Arktika class is a Russian class of nuclear-powered icebreakers. Also known by their Russian designations Project 10520 and Project 10521, they were the world's largest and most powerful icebreakers until the 2016 launch of the first Project 22220 icebreaker, also named Arktika.
Arktika in November 1980
Arktika
50 Let Pobedy
Yamal
Nuclear-powered icebreaker
A nuclear-powered icebreaker is an icebreaker with an onboard nuclear power plant that produces power for the vessel's propulsion system. Although more expensive to operate, nuclear-powered icebreakers provide a number of advantages over their diesel-powered counterparts, especially along the Northern Sea Route where heavy power demand associated with icebreaking, limited refueling infrastructure along the Siberian coast, and endurance required make diesel-powered icebreaker operations challenging. As of 2023, Russia is the only country that builds and operates nuclear-powered icebreakers, having built a number of such vessels to aid shipping along the Northern Sea Route and Russian arctic outposts since the Soviet era.
Nuclear icebreaker Yamal, 2015
Nuclear-powered icebreaker Lenin
Project 22220 icebreaker, Ural, under construction
The 1975-built Arktika, the first surface ship to reach the North Pole, in 2006