Russia’s Nikolay Zubov: The Newest Armed Arctic Icebreaker for the Northern Fleet

The Admiralty Shipyards in Saint Petersburg has launched the second armed Arctic icebreaker for the Russian Navy. Once commissioned, the vessel, named Nikolay Zubov, will join the Northern Fleet’s Kola division. This Arc7 ice-class icebreaker is capable of breaking through ice up to 1,7 meters thick, allowing for year-round access to Russia’s Arctic waters.

This launch follows the recent sea trials of the first vessel of this type, Ivan Papanin. The icebreakers are intended to patrol key Arctic shipping lanes and the Bering Strait. Admiral Alexander Moiseev, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, emphasized during the launch ceremony that these ships will be crucial for establishing a surface force presence in the Arctic and for protecting the Northern Sea Route.

Additionally, two more hulls are in progress—one has been launched and another is under construction—for the FSB Border Service. Recently, patrol vessels from the Border Service operated near Alaska during a joint Russian-Chinese patrol in the Arctic.

The Project 23350 icebreakers have been under development since 2017. With a displacement of 8 500 tonnes, these patrol ships, referred to as “combat icebreakers” by the Russian Ministry of Defense, are smaller than the upcoming US Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter but are designed to carry more armament. They can be equipped with up to eight Kalibr cruise missiles or Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, along with a 76,2 mm naval gun.

In the past year, there has been notable activity regarding icebreaking vessels in both Russia and China. Recently, China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International delivered the 10 000-ton research icebreaker Tan Suo San Hao (Exploration No. 3), and in May, the smaller 5 600-ton icebreaking research vessel Ji Di was commissioned.

Over the last twelve months, Russia has also sent its fourth nuclear icebreaker of the new Arktika-class on sea trials, launched a fifth, and laid down a sixth. These vessels will operate along the Northern Sea Route for Rosatomflot. Additionally, the Russian Navy has commissioned the icebreaker Evpatiy Kolovrat for its Pacific Fleet, alongside the two newly launched combat icebreakers.

In the US, the Coast Guard recently announced that it received approval from the Department of Homeland Security to begin construction of its Polar Security Cutter.