ST. PETERSBURG, June 10. /TASS/. A new vessel to supply polar stations in the Arctic, which will replace the Mikhail Somov scientific expedition vessel, will be built by 2029, the Arkhangelsk Region's Governor Alexander Tsybulsky told TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The Mikhail Somov was launched in 1975. The vessel brings cargo to Arctic stations, located from Franz Josef Land to Chukotka. The Mikhail Somov has repeatedly sailed to Antarctica. In the summer of 2023, the ship ran aground near Franz Josef Land, got damaged, and then was repaired. Right now the Mikhail Somov is en route to supply polar stations.

"Jointly with specialists of Roshydromet (a national hydrometeorology service), we are working on this, and we have plans to build a new, fundamentally new ice-class vessel. And, as far as I can understand, this vessel's design is already underway. As for the deadlines that we set for ourselves, we must launch this vessel and put it into operation by 2029," the governor said. "That is, the plan today is for a new icebreaker by 2029, which will work in the interests the hydromet service."

Construction of vessels of this class takes at least three years, he added, saying the design should be completed in the near future.

About the forum

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) took place on June 5-8. This year’s theme was "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Events included meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS was the event's information partner.