Dikson icebreaker

The 1983-built MS Dikson ("ледокол Диксон") is an icebreaking vessel owned by Rosmorport and operated by Arkhangelsk Sea Port. Rosmorport is a Russian FSUE (Federal State Unitary Enterprise) established in 2012 by order of the Russian Federation's Ministry of Transport.

The vessel (IMO number 8009208, Helsinki Shipyard / hull number 438) is currently Russia-flagged (MMSI 273912100) and homeported in Arkhangelsk.

One of Russia’s icebreaking cruise vessels, Dikson is named after the port of Dikson—an urban locality in Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is located on the Kara Sea, at the mouth of the Yenisei Gulf, on the Arctic Ocean coast.

The ship's keel was laid on January 6, 1981, and construction was completed on March 17, 1983.

In August 2012, the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn departed from Murmansk (a Barents Sea port city) for a two-month Arctic expedition to support Russia's territorial claims over a ridge in the Arctic Ocean. The ship arrived in Kirkenes (Norway), where the Dikson was docked. On August 6, 2012, both vessels departed for the Arctic. The mission focused on exploring the high-latitude boundaries of the Mendeleev Ridge (Siberian Shelf, East Siberian Sea) to secure Russia’s development rights over natural resources in the area. Kapitan Dranitsyn conducted seabed mapping, while Dikson collected seismic data and conducted geological and geophysical research.

Rosmorport’s Dikson operates scientific and Arctic expedition cruises from Arkhangelsk (a White Sea port on the Dvina River).

Dikson Icebreaker Vessel Details

Dikson's sisterships (identical in design and built by the same shipyard) are the Russian icebreakers Magadan and Mudyug.

The vessel is equipped with one dining room, a sauna, a swimming pool, an elevator, and a helideck (helipad).

• Max Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft)
• Deadweight Tonnage (DWT): 2,281 tons
• Displacement Tonnage: 6,210 tons
• Icebreaking Capacity: 1 meter
• Powerplant: 4x Wartsila 8R32 diesel engines (2,390 kW each, 9.56 MW total output)
• Propulsion: 2 shafts with 4-bladed controllable pitch propellers

Note: Due to limited AIS coverage in remote areas, tracking the vessel’s current location may not always be possible. For a complete list of icebreakers and icebreaking research ships, visit the "Itinerary" section of our Icebreakers hub, which includes all operators and their fleets.