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The «Sovetsky Soyuz» back in icy waters

The nuclear-powered icebreaker was supposed to become scrap metal, but has now instead been made ready for more action in the Russian Arctic.

Location

The once powerful ship has since 2007 been docked in Murmansk and been used as a source for spare parts for the other nuclear-powered icebreakers. The vessel was supposed to be taken out of service for good in 2014 and subsequently become scrap metal. However, in 2012, the Russian government decided otherwise.

The «Sovetsky Soyuz» will ready for new duties this year and subsequently serve another eight years in Russian icy waters, Vesti.ru reports.

The decision to save the vessel comes as the icebreaker «Rossiya» is taken out of service in connection with fuel recharging and a series of new icebreaking vessels are in the making. The «Sovetsky Soyuz» will fill the gap, says Denis Nayden, senior assistant to the ship captain.

The main operating area of the ship will be the Kara Sea and the Ob Bay.

As previously reported, Russia is in the process of starting construction of three new LK-60 icebreakers, which are to be ready for delivery in late 2017.