Russia Floats Another Nuclear Icebreaker

These aren't even the next-generation ships and they are still the most powerful in the world.
The troika of doom.

From the Barents Ovserver:

Launch of icebreaker «Ural» will give boost to year-around Northern Sea Route shipping

With two powerful nuclear reactors, Rosatomflot’s third LK-60Ya icebreakers will help Russia export even more gas to Asia by 2022.

Liquid natural gas (LNG) is big money for Russia’s private owned Novatek. But more powerful icebreakers are needed to reach the markets in Asia with the huge LNG tankers sailing out from Yamal and the Ob Bay. Especially along the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route, from the northern Kara Sea through the Laptev Sea towards the East Siberian Sea.

Novatek aims for year-around shipping in volumes more than twice today’s annual production of up to 15,5 million tons at Yamal LNG. By 2023, Arctic LNG II is expected to produce 19,8 million tons and the Ob LNG, announced last week, will add an annual production of up to 4,8 million tons.

«Without a modern nuclear icebreaking fleet, it is impossible to imagine the development of the Northern Sea Route,» said Vyacheslav Ruksha, Director of the Northern Sea Route Directorate of Rosatom State Corporation in a comment to Saturday’s launch of the new icebreaker.

«It is important that a decision has been made to conclude a contract for the construction of the fourth and the fifth serial nuclear-powered icebreakers. We are awaiting the start of construction of the Leader nuclear-powered icebreakers. With their appearance in the Arctic, it will be possible to talk about year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route,» Ruksha said....MUCH MORE

This is the current world heavyweight champ, 50 Years of Victory:

Although not as powerful as the new ships it has superior ice breaking capabilities: up to 5 metres (16 feet) by ramming versus 3 metres (10 feet) for the new machines,

As noted in the January post on the new Russian icebreaking submarine:

For the big guy, "50 Years of Victory", the Rosatom people advertise its "1300 rooms" which sounds a lot like a troop transport to me, big enough for an entire Russian naval infantry brigade with room to spare.