Trade route
A shipping lane along Russia's Arctic coast from the Kara Strait to the Bering Strait, first sailed in a single season in 1932 by the icebreaker Alexander Sibiryakov. Icebreakers escort ships that supply Arctic ports and carry out timber, minerals and liquefied gas; parts of it are free of ice only two months a year.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR; Russian: Се́верный морско́й путь, romanized: Severnyy morskoy put, shortened to Севморпуть, Sevmorput) is a shipping route about 5,600 kilometres (3,500 mi) long. The Northern Sea Route is the shortest shipping route between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region. For China, the NSR can halve the time to Europe compared to via Suez or the Cape of Good Hope routes.
Administratively, the Northern Sea Route begins at the boundary between the Barents and Kara Seas (the Kara Strait) and ends in the Bering Strait (Cape Dezhnev). The NSR straddles the seas of the Arctic Ocean (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas).
The entire route lies in Arctic waters and within Russia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and is included in what has been called the Northeast Passage, (which is now commercially navigable) analogous to Canada's Northwest Passage (which is still not commercially navigable). The Northern Sea Route itself does not include the Barents Sea, and it therefore does not reach the Atlantic.
The Northern Sea Route currently serves the Arctic ports and major rivers of Siberia by importing fuel, equipment, food and exporting timber and minerals. Currently, six major seaports are located on the NSR route in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation: Sabetta, Dikson, Dudinka, Khatanga, Tiksi, and Pevek ports. Some parts of the route are only free of ice for two months per year, but melting Arctic ice caps are likely to increase traffic and the commercial viability of NSR. One study, for instance, projects "remarkable shifts in trade flows between Asia and Europe, diversion of trade within Europe, heavy shipping traffic in the Arctic and a substantial drop in Suez traffic. Projected shifts in trade also imply substantial pressure on an already threatened Arctic ecosystem". At the same time, research conducted by the Center for Marine Research showed that exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations in the atmospheric air, sea waters, and bottom sediments, which could indicate the impact of economic activities at this stage of development of the NSR was not recorded.
Against the backdrop of growing risks on traditional sea routes and their growing logistical instability, the Northern Sea Route is strengthening its position in global logistics due to its advantages. The first scheduled commercial transits of the NSR are between China and Europe and began in August 2026, for the season August to October.
Compared with the route through the Suez Canal, the Northern Sea Route can reduce the sailing distance between north-western Europe and the Far East by approximately 40%. The shorter sailing distance can reduce fuel consumption and emissions per voyage, although these gains may be offset by an increase in overall shipping traffic through Arctic waters.
Lower fuel consumption can reduce voyage costs, although the overall economic benefit of using the Northern Sea Route depends on factors including the length of the navigable season, route fees and bunker fuel prices. Maritime transport has been included in the European Union Emissions Trading System since 2024. The Northern Sea Route avoids several piracy-prone and conflict-exposed chokepoints used by conventional shipping between Europe and Asia, including the Bab el-Mandeb and Singapore straits.
Primarily, the NSR significantly shortens travel distances from Asia to Europe; for example, the journey from Murmansk, Russia, to Yokohama, Japan, is reduced from 12,840 nautical miles via the Suez Canal to 5,770 nautical miles via the NSR. This shorter route translates into approximately 30–40% less sailing time, substantially decreasing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from maritime transport.
The following published route comparisons are approximate; actual sailing distances may vary depending on the selected ports and routing.
In February 2025, Mikhail Kovalchuk, president of the Kurchatov Institute, proposed studying the construction of a canal linking Arctic and Pacific waters across Russian territory. The proposal was discussed as a possible shorter passage for future submerged LNG carriers.
With the maritime industry joining the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from 2024 and large freight companies receiving huge carbon bills, the savings on the EU ETS from reducing emissions could be in addition to the economic benefits for shippers. Utilizing the shorter NSR with no queues to pass through allows companies to achieve considerable savings in operational costs and ETS-related carbon charges.
Russia's nuclear-powered icebreakers provide escort services along the Northern Sea Route. Nuclear propulsion produces no direct carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide or particulate emissions during operation, although it presents separate safety, radioactive-waste management and decommissioning challenges.
The NSR provides improved logistical efficiency due to reduced journey durations and lack of congestion at entry points, optimizing overall transportation costs. The route is secure and free from piracy threats, presenting a reliable alternative to traditional shipping lanes.
There is no risk of piracy and privateering when navigating the Northern Sea Route, making it a safe and effective addition to existing shipping routes.The latest data from the International Maritime Organization's Maritime Piracy Report shows that 137 incidents involving attacks on ships were recorded in 2025 (compared to 116 in 2024 and 120 in 2023). The majority of these incidents occurred in Southeast Asia – 95 incidents, 80 of which occurred in the Singapore Strait alone (compared to 43 in 2024).
The history of the Northern Sea Route's development begins with the first voyages in these waters by the Pomors (an ancient ethnic community of Northern Europeans living on the northwestern shores of Russia) in the 11th to 13th centuries. Based on their experiences, in 1525, Russian diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov proposed the practical use of this waterway (which until the early 20th century was called the Northeast Passage). This marked the beginning of Russia's history of the Northern Sea Route's development, which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2025.
The route was first conquered by Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's Vega expedition with a single wintering in 1878–79.
In 1932, an expedition led by Soviet geographer Otto Schmidt was the first to navigate NSR in one navigation on the icebreaker Alexander Sibiryakov. Since then, year-round exploration of Arctic waters has begun, including for the purpose of studying logistics corridors in the northern seas.
The NSR became one of several Arctic shipping routes. Since the mid-1930s, it has had official status as a managed and regulated route along Russia's Arctic coast.
A new stage in the development of NSR began with the advent of nuclear icebreakers. On December 3, 1959, the first-born of the Russian and world nuclear icebreaker fleet, the icebreaker Lenin, was put into operation. This event marked the beginning of the development of the nuclear icebreaker fleet and gave impetus to the development of the transport potential of NSR.
With the help of icebreakers of the Arktika type (Project 10520), starting in 1978, the transition to year-round navigation in the Western Arctic region was carried out.
Taking into account the shallowness of the approaches to the port of Dudinka located in the Yenisei River, specialized nuclear icebreakers with a small draft were designed and built - "Taimyr" and "Vaigach". In parallel with this the navigation and hydrographic service system of the fleet was re-equipped with modern equipment, the Dudinka port was expanded and reconstructed.
Since 2008, the structure of Rosatom includes the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker, designed to travel the NSR.
Beginning in the late 2010s, Russia began improving its defense resources near NSR.
Since the late 2010s, Russia has been strengthening its defense and economic infrastructure along NSR. In 2013, Russia established the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Northern Sea Route Administration." In 2018, the State Corporation Rosatom was designated as the infrastructure operator of the NSR. In 2022, management responsibilities for the route were transferred to Rosatom's Main Directorate of NSR.
It was reported in 2023 that Rosmorport, a state-owned agency of the Russian Ministry of Transport, has plans to run cruises for tourists in icebreakers along the entire Northern Sea Route between Murmansk and Vladivostok.
The Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor is a strategic Russian infrastructure project aimed at creating a unified system of transport routes for transit shipments between Europe and Asia and accessing global trade routes. This comprehensive project combines both the trans-Arctic route and logistics infrastructure in ports on Russia's Arctic coast and in adjacent regions, including rail, road, and river routes. The route runs from St. Petersburg through Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, and the Northern Sea Route to Vladivostok.
The Northern Sea Route will become a key section of the TTC. Land infrastructure includes railway lines, highways, and inland waterways (the Lena, Yenisei, and Ob rivers). Key transportation hubs include the ports of Ust-Luga, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Dudinka, Sabetta, Tiksi, Pevek, and Vladivostok.
In the context of growing risks on traditional routes, TTC could be one of the possible answers to the challenges of modern logistics.
In 2018 the State Atomic Energy Corporation «Rosatom» was appointed the infrastructure operator of the NSR. Rosatom organizes the navigation of vessels in the waters of the NSR in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Code, manages a fleet of nuclear icebreakers, ensures the safety and uninterrupted operation of navigation, provides hydrographic support in the waters of NSR, builds nuclear icebreakers, develops and modernize the infrastructure of sea harbors and manages the state property of these ports. Rosatom is a legacy member of the Arctic Economic Council. FSUE Atomflot (the enterprise of Rosatom) is the operator of the world's only nuclear icebreaker fleet.
As a result of the increasing cargo flow along the NSR, Rosatom created Glavsevmorput enterprize to ensure the safety of shipping on the Arctic route. The main purpose of the creation of Glavsevmorput is to organize the navigation of vessels in the waters of NSR. Glavsevmorput Federal State Budgetary Institution solves the following tasks: ensuring the organization of icebreaking vessels taking into account the hydrometeorological, ice, and navigation conditions in the waters of the NSR; vessels navigation in the waters of the NSR; issuance, suspension, renewal, and termination of permits for sailing vessels in the waters of the NSR. To solve these tasks, the department arranges icebreaker fleet vessels in the waters of the NSR, monitors the traffic in the NSR water area, provides information on hydrometeorological, ice, and navigation conditions, and processes information from vessels located in the NSR water area.
For most of the year, the Arctic Ocean seas are covered with ice, requiring icebreaker assistance to ensure safe navigation along NSR. Russia uniquely operates a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet managed by FSUE Atomflot, an enterprise of the State Corporation Rosatom. In 2024, this fleet celebrated its 65th anniversary.
Key advantages of nuclear icebreakers include their significant power, enabling them to break through ice up to three meters thick; autonomy, allowing operation for up to seven years without refueling; and environmental neutrality, with virtually no carbon dioxide emissions during operation.
As of 2025, the fleet consists of eight vessels: Yamal and 50 Let Pobedy (Project 10521), Taimyr and Vaigach (Project 10580), and the newest Project 22220 icebreakers—Arktika, Sibir, Ural, and Yakutia. These last four are currently the most advanced and powerful nuclear icebreakers globally, each equipped with two RITM-200 reactors, each with a thermal capacity of 175 MW. These versatile vessels can adjust their draft from 10.5 to 9.03 meters, allowing effective operation in open seas and shallow waters, such as the Yenisei River and the Ob Bay.
Three additional Project 22220 icebreakers are under construction:
In December 2024, the keel of the multifunctional nuclear technology service vessel of Project 22220 was laid. The vessel is designed to reload nuclear fuel in Project 22220 icebreakers, manage spent fuel removal, and temporarily store spent fuel assemblies prior to reprocessing.
In April 2025, the newest Project 22220 icebreaker, Yakutia, arrived at its home port and commenced its maiden voyage toward the Yenisei Gulf in the Kara Sea region. Additionally, construction continues on Rossiya, the world's most powerful nuclear icebreaker (Project 10510). In 2025, Rosatom completed both of RITM-400 reactors for Rossiya. Each RITM-400 reactor has a thermal capacity of 315 MW, significantly surpassing all existing ship reactor installations.
In recent years, the global supply chain has increasingly come under threat from geopolitical instability and piracy. This undermines the reliability of global logistics and poses risks to global economic development.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Northern Sea Route”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.