On February 9, the lead universal nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika of Atomflot FSUE began escorting vessels Engineer Trubin and Polar King from the port of Pevek. For the first time ever, the atomic ship of project 22220 will take part in the east-west escort of a convoy. Traditionally, in this sector of the Arctic the piloting of ships was over in November. The nuclear-powered icebreaker of Rosatomflot will be assisted by diesel-electric icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn.
"The convoy piloting will end near the western edge of the Kara Sea ice," said Atomflot's First Deputy Director General Leonid Irlitsa. – From the east, Arktika will take the ships through the whole water area of the Northern Sea Route. During the voyage, the captain of the icebreaker will get recommendations from Atomflot's Headquarters of Marine Operations. This unique experience of ours will be studied by shipmasters and will become the basis for further planning during the transition to the regular year-round escorting in the waters of the Northern Sea Route".