NS Leningrad icebreaker
Former name : NS Sakhalin
Specifications of NS Leningrad icebreaker
| Year of build | 2028 new ship |
| Builder | Baltiysky Zavod/Baltic Shipyard (St Petersburg, Russia) |
| Class | Russian nuclear icebreaker (LC-60YA-class, Project 22220) |
| Building cost | RUB 59 billion (USD 851M / EUR 807M) |
| Engines (power) | RITM-200 nuclear reactors (350 MW / 469358 hp) |
| Propulsion power | 110 MW / 147512 hp |
| Speed | 22 kn / 41 km/h / 25 mph |
| Length (LOA) | 173 m / 568 ft |
| Beam (width) | 34 m / 112 ft |
| Gross Tonnage | 33540 gt |
| Passengers | 64 - 128 |
| Crew | 75 |
| Decks | 8 |
| Cabins | 64 |
| Decks with cabins | 5 |
| Sister-ships | NS Arktika (2020), NS Sibir (2021), NS Ural (2022), NS Chukotka (2026), NS Yakutia (2024), NS Stalingrad (2030) |
| Former names | NS Sakhalin |
| Christened by | tba |
| Owner | Russian Federation (via FSUE Atomflot) |
| Operator | Rosatom (Rosmorport) |
NS Leningrad icebreaker Review
Review of NS Leningrad icebreaker
NS Leningrad (fka NS Sakhalin; "атомный ледокол Ленинград"/Сахалин) is a next-generation Russian nuclear icebreaker and one of the world’s largest vessels of this type. “NS” stands for “nuclear ship”. The vessel is state-owned (Russian Federation via FSUE Atomflot) and operated by Rosatom. Atomflot provides maintenance and technological services for all Russian nuclear icebreakers and manages the country’s special-purpose fleet.
On November 27, 2023, Andrei Bocharov (Governor of the Volgograd Region) announced that Vladimir Putin (President of the Russian Federation) had supported the proposal to rename the icebreaker from Sakhalin to Leningrad, in honor of the Siege of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 through January 27, 1944) during the Great Patriotic War/WW2 (1939-45).
NS Leningrad is scheduled for delivery to FSUE Atomflot and commissioning in December 2028.
The vessel (IMO number 1022952) will be Russia-flagged (MMSI tba) and registered in Murmansk.
In addition to NS Leningrad, Russia’s active nuclear icebreaker fleet includes Rossiya (2027/Project Leader), Sibir (2021), Ural (2022), Arktika (2020), Chukotka (2026), Yakutia (2024), Stalingrad/fka Kamchatka (2030), Taymyr (1989), Vaygach (1990), Yamal (1992), and 50 Let Pobedy (2007).
Leningrad is the 6th vessel of the “Project 22220” class (LK-60Ya), a series of seven nuclear-powered icebreakers designed and built in Russia.
Construction officially started with the steel-cutting ceremony on August 14, 2023. Physical construction/assembly began on January 26, 2024, during the keel-laying ceremony attended by Alexey Likhachev (Rosatom’s General Director).
The 7th and final unit in the series, NS Stalingrad/Kamchatka (hull/yard number 05710), is scheduled to begin physical construction/assembly in November 2025, to be launched in 2028 and delivered in December 2028.
These sisterships are currently the world’s largest and most powerful icebreakers, surpassing the nuclear cruise ship 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) in both length (by 14 m) and beam (by 4 m).
Negotiations between Atomflot and USC (United Shipbuilding Corporation) were lengthy. In early 2013, the federal government allocated RUB 86.1 billion (~USD 1.3 billion) for the project. Rosatom insisted that the two icebreaking ships should have a combined cost of RUB 77.5 billion (~USD 1.2 billion), but the offer was declined by the Baltic Shipyard (Baltiyskiy Yard). A second tender with an adjusted price of RUB 84.4 billion was announced in December 2013.
Due to the vessel’s dual-draft configuration (8.7 m / 10.5 m), Leningrad’s deployment program is focused on supporting Northern Sea Route operations and includes navigation in Arctic seas as well as polar river estuaries. Operational areas in the Arctic Ocean include the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Pechora Sea, Yenisei estuary, and the Ob River (Gulf of Ob).
Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet is used exclusively in the Arctic Ocean to escort merchant ships and assist research stations in ice-covered waters north of Siberia. These vessels also support scientific missions and Arctic cruise expeditions. Nuclear icebreakers must operate in cold waters to provide natural cooling for their reactors.
NS Leningrad vessel details
Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers have a minimum draught of 8.6 m (28 ft) and a maximum draught of 10.5 m (34 ft). The dual-draft design enables operations in both deep Arctic waters and shallow river channels.
Each vessel is powered by two RITM-200 nuclear reactors with a total thermal capacity of 350 MW. The propulsion output is 110 MW. The previous generation produced 60 MW (hence the alternative class name “LK-60”). The RITM-200 is a pressurized water reactor developed by OKBM Afrikantov and designed for an electrical output of 55 MWe. It uses up to 20% enriched uranium-235, is refueled every 7 years, and has a planned lifespan of 40 years. The RITM-200 is also used to power Russia’s newest aircraft carriers (Project 23000E).
Leningrad’s maximum icebreaking capability is 2.8 m (9 ft) at a cruising speed of 1.5-2 knots (2.8 kph / 1.7 mph).
In May 2015, Russia confirmed plans to develop new nuclear-powered icebreakers capable of breaking through Arctic ice up to 4.5 m (15 ft) thick. These next-generation vessels will feature propulsion power of 110 MW and will be nearly twice as powerful as Project 22220 ships.
The steel for NS Leningrad (thick plate “Mill 5000”) was produced by Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), one of the world’s largest steel manufacturers and the supplier of more than 50% of Russia’s shipbuilding steel. “Mill 5000” plate is used for naval vessels, tankers, and ice-class ships, and is certified internationally by Lloyd’s Register and Bureau Veritas.
NS Leningrad features 1 dining room, Sauna, Library, Auditorium, Passenger Lounge, Volleyball Court, Gymnasium, 1 indoor heated swimming pool, Infirmary, 1 elevator, and 1 helipad (helicopter deck) equipped for a Mi-2 transport helicopter.
- DWT (Deadweight): 9000 tons
- Displacement: 33,540 tons
- Clear path width: 50 m (164 ft)
- Draught: 8.6 m (28 ft min), 10.5 m (35 ft max)
- Height: 52 m (171 ft)
- Icebreaking capability: 2.8 m (9 ft)
- Ice-class: 9 (highest)
- Lifespan: 40 years
- Range: unlimited
- Powerplant: 2× RITM-200 nuclear reactors (175 MW each / 350 MW total)
- Propulsion: 3 shafts (110 MW total)
Project 22220 vessels have an endurance of 6 months (provisions) and 7 years (nuclear fuel).
Note: In areas with limited AIS coverage, tracking the vessel’s real-time position may be impossible.
You can view CruiseMapper’s complete list of icebreakers and icebreaking research ships in the “itinerary” section of our Icebreakers hub.
Photos of NS Leningrad icebreaker
Other Rosatom-Rosmorport Russia cruise ships
NS Leningrad icebreaker Wiki
One of the world's largest icebreaking vessels, Leningrad/Sakhalin is scheduled to begin construction and assembly in November 2025 (keel-laying/assembly), with the launch/float-out from drydock planned for November 2028 at the Baltic Shipyard in Sankt Petersburg.
The ship is powered by two nuclear reactors (RITM-200 steam generator/power plant), each with a thermal capacity of 175 MW (350 MW combined output).
The shipbuilding contract for two additional Project 22220 units (Yakutia and Chukotka/up to five in total) was signed in August 2019. According to the contract, the shipbuilding cost per vessel was RUB 50 billion (~USD 720 million / ~EUR 640 million).
The icebreaker was originally named after Russia's largest island, Sakhalin (land area ~72,490 km2 / 2,790 mi2; length 948 km / 589 mi; width 25-170 km / 16-106 mi; population ~0.5 million). Sakhalin Island’s principal port and largest town is Korsakov (on Aniva Gulf, at the island’s southern end). Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast comprises Sakhalin Island plus the Kuril Islands.
The ship’s new name (changed in November 2023) honors the present-day city of Sankt Petersburg, previously named Petrograd/Петроград (1914-24) and Leningrad/Ленинград (1924-91). The name commemorates the Siege of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 through January 27, 1944), during which more than 1.5 million people lost their lives.
On September 5, 2021, Rosatom's Deputy Director (Maxim Kulinko) stated that year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route requires two additional Project 22220 ships (the 6th/Kamchatka-Stalingrad and the 7th/Sakhalin-Leningrad). In April 2022, it was announced that the Russian Federation planned to allocate RUB 118 billion (~USD 1.7B / EUR 1.6B) for the two additional icebreakers (cost per unit: RUB 59B / USD 851M / EUR 807M), with deliveries scheduled for 2028 and 2030.
On February 2, 2023, FSUE Atomflot (shipowner) and JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod (shipbuilder) signed contracts for the 6th and 7th vessels (Kamchatka and Sakhalin) of the Project 22220 series. The order was signed by the General Directors/CEOs of Atomflot (Leonid Irlitsa/Леонид Ирлица) and Baltiyskiy Zavod (Yury Stepanovich Gordienkov/Юрий Степанович Гордиенков).
FSUE Atomflot officially announced the names of the 6th and 7th LC-60YA class ships on March 30, 2023, with their launches scheduled for May 2024 (Kamchatka) and November 2025 (Sakhalin). As with all Project 22220 vessels, the names honor Russian Arctic territories along the Northern Sea Route (северный морской путь). This shipping corridor spans ~5600 km / 3500 mi above Siberia (west to east), from Novaya Zemlya to the Bering Strait (Cape Zhelaniya).
JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod (established in 1856) is a wholly owned subsidiary of USC/United Shipbuilding Corporation (Russia’s largest shipbuilding company). The shipyard specializes in repairs and construction of ice-class vessels (both nuclear- and diesel-powered), as well as floating units such as nuclear power plants and distillation plants.
On May 25, 2023, FSUE Atomflot and JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod signed a contract for a specialized/multifunctional nuclear-technical support vessel (Project 22770 icebreaker) designed to perform the full range of refueling operations (recharging the nuclear power plants) for all nuclear icebreakers, as well as the floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov (MMSI 273381660; a 2019-commissioned UNSP barge/unmanned non-self-propelled vessel, in service since May 2020). The contract was signed by Leonid Irlitsa and Yury Gordienkov. Financing was provided 50/50 by the Russian Federation and Rosatom Corporation. The vessel (scheduled for completion/commissioning in 2029) has DWT/displacement 22,600 tons; hull length 159 m; hull width 26 m; maximum draft 7.5 m; maximum speed 12 knots (22 kph / 14 mph).
Because Project 22220 vessels can navigate both deep-sea waters and shallow river estuaries, ROSATOM effectively received two types of icebreaking ships for the price of one, saving hundreds of millions of USD.
NS Sakhalin/Leningrad and her sisterships are central to Russia’s strategy to open the Northern Sea Route (NSR) for year-round commercial and military operations. By 2030, the NSR is expected to serve vessels transporting more than 150 million tonnes of cargo annually. The Russian Government assigned ROSATOM to lead a six-year infrastructure development program for the NSR, with total funding of RUB 734.9 billion (USD 11.37 billion / EUR 10.17 billion). Of this amount, RUB 274 billion was provided by the Government, while the remaining RUB 460+ billion came from investors, the largest of which are ROSATOM, ROSNEFT and NOVATEK.
ROSATOM (founded in 2007) is a state-owned nuclear energy corporation headquartered in Moscow. It comprises more than 360 companies and organizations engaged in scientific research, nuclear weapons development, and operation of the world’s only fleet of nuclear icebreakers. In 2017, ROSATOM generated 202.868 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for 18.9% of Russia’s total production. Its construction portfolio includes 33 nuclear powerplant units installed and maintained in 12 countries. The corporation also manufactures related equipment, produces isotopes for nuclear medicine, conducts scientific studies, develops software and supercomputers, and advances renewable energy technologies (including wind turbines). ROSATOM holds 17.7% of the global nuclear fuel market and ~35% of the world market for uranium enrichment services.
ROSNEFT (founded in 1993) is a state-controlled oil and gas corporation headquartered in Moscow. The company specializes in exploration, extraction, production, refining and transportation of petroleum and natural gas. ROSNEFT is ranked as Russia’s third-largest company and the country’s second-largest state-controlled enterprise (after Gazprom), as well as the world’s 24th largest oil company by revenue (FY2017 – USD 103 billion / EUR 92.09 billion).
NOVATEK (founded in 1994) is Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer and the world’s seventh-largest publicly traded company by annual natural gas output. The company is listed on the London (LSE) and Moscow (MCX) stock exchanges. Major shareholders include Leonid Michelson (CEO, ~28%), Volga Group (23%), Total SA (French multinational, ~16%) and Gazprom (9.4%).