Ice-breaker Tanker Saratov Launched

The Saratov ice-breaker oil tanker, has been launched in St.Petersburg with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov attending the ceremony. The shipbuilding factory Admiralty Shipyards, where the tanker was built, has an old tradition of making ships for sailing in the Arctic sea. In 1955 it built the renowned nuclear-powered ice-breaker, the Lenin. Mikhail Kasyanov stressed that the Russian government will give support to shipbuilders because every effort should be made to revive all passenger flows on the Northern sea route. In addition, such tankers will be a help in developing Arctic oil fields, above all in the Timano-Pechora area.