Putin takes part in ceremony to launch new nuclear icebreaker

Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony to launch the Chukotka nuclear icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Putin participated from Moscow via video link.

The footage shows the head of state giving the command "Launch cleared!" A bottle of champagne was traditionally smashed against the side of the vessel before launch.

Three best workers of the Baltic Shipyard cut the detent that secured the ship to the land. The multi-ton vessel then slowly slid along the rails into the water.

The development of the Russian Arctic depends on the icebreaker fleet, the president noted. He called the construction of ships operating in the North the embodiment of the industrial, scientific, personnel and technological potential of the country.

Earlier, the president launched the construction of the Leningrad nuclear icebreaker. The ship is being built at the Baltic Shipyard as well. The new icebreaker will be 173.3 meters long, with the displacement of 33.5 thousand tons. The icebreaker will be operated for 40 years.

Details

An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels, such as the icebreaking boats that were once used on the canals of the United Kingdom. For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most normal ships lack: a strengthened hull, an ice-clearing shape, and the power to push through sea ice.