Mikhail Grishankov, deputy of State Duma

– Our equipment, even the old one, is still efficient and unmatched

Day of Nuclear Icebreaking Fleet is being marked in Murmansk today, Dec 3. 49 years ago, on Dec 3, the world’s first nuclear icebreaker “Lenin” hoisted a national flag. Nine nuclear icebreakers of three generations and the world’s only nuclear powered lighter-aboard container carrier “Sevmorput” have been built in our country since then. Our nuclear icebreaking fleet is unique: no single country in the world has such capacities of work in icy area.

Nuclear icebreaking fleet is our strongest resource for upholding our economic and political interests in the Arctic region.

I have taken part in the expedition to the North Pole under the guidance of Vice Speaker of the State Duma Artur Chilingarov. Our equipment, even the old one, is still efficient and unmatched.

The expedition has shown that the Arctic region is a zone of interests of many countries and we will be able to effectively push our interests there only if we have powerful nuclear icebreakers. It is good that our nuclear icebreakers have been placed under the management of Rosatom. We must build new icebreakers and must use the Northern Sea Route more actively. We have lots of tasks and we must try to solve them.

I would like to congratulate our seamen, scientists and all people having anything to do with nuclear icebreaking fleet and to wish them great achievements.