Russia Has Decided To Build Two More Of The World's Most Powerful Icebreakers

In September we noted a delay in the delivery schedule of the first of the LK-60Ya class icebreakers, the Arktika, from May 2019 to April 2020. Despite this Atomflot appears to be adding to the initial three-ship order.
From the Barents Observer:

More nuclear power for Russia’s icebreaker fleet

A fleet of five LK-60 icebreakers will be built to keep waters open for the quickly growing Russian Arctic shipping.

A fourth and fifth vessel of the powerful LK60 class (project 22220) are needed for support of vessels shuttling to the major coal project in Taymyr and the Payakha oil field in the Yenisey river delta, Atomflot leader Vyacheslav Rukhsha said in a conference this week.

The vessels come in addition to the three similar ships that already are under construction at the Baltic Shipyard in St.Petersburg

The two additional vessels will help secure round-the-year shipments on the Northern Sea Route for the next 25-30 years, Ruksha made clear.

The statement comes after Rosatomflot’s deputy director Mustafa Kashka in the recent Murmansk Business Week confirmed that a final decision on the vessels would be taken «in the course of 2018.» According to Kashka, the investments needed for their construction will provided thanks to long-term contracts with the mineral extracting companies, Rosatom informs.

According to the company, the two powerful ships will cost 100 billion rubles, of which 45 billion will be provided by the federal budget, 10 billion by Rosatom itself and the remaining 45 billion by credits, PortNews informs.

The Baltic Yard started construction of the first LK-60 icebreaker, the «Arktika», in 2013. The building of the second vessel of the kind, the «Sibir», was launched in 2015, while the «Ural» was launched in 2016. The vessels are now reported to be ready for sailing in 2019, 2020 and 2022 respectively....MORE

Previously:
"One of Russia’s new nuclear icebreakers facing delays"

Here's the current king of the north, the 25,168 tons displacement 50 Let Pobedy (50 years of victory)

 

The 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker bringing politicians to the North Pole. (Photo: Murmansky Vestnik) 

 

The Arktika will have a displacement of  ~37,000 tons.

 

There are also plans for an even more ridiculously powerful class that we saw in "Russia Official Announces Plans to Build Space Age Nuclear Icebreakers".