MURMANSK, January 26. /TASS/. The global warming, about which many scientists say, as yet does not really change the ice thickness in waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), and over coming years it will not be possible to sail without icebreakers, Atomflot’s First Deputy Direction General on navigation Leonid Irlitsa told reporters on Tuesday.
"I have studied the forecast, which is not short," he said commenting on the NSR ice forecast, which scientists had made at Atomflot’s request. "I can say the following: the scientists have confirmed the ice in the North will not melt away, and we must build more icebreakers."
The scientists also stressed the Northern nature lives in cycles, and colder periods replace warmer periods, he added.
"I liked a statement [from that forecast] - the nature in the North is cyclic. Every warm or cold cycle repeats. We have seen certain warming, and after it comes a cold period. The cycles are between 12 and 32 years long, depending on processes in the atmosphere," he said.
The navigation has been affected by the warming, he continued.
"The global warming, probably, exists, they say in the Arctic [the temperature] has risen by 1.5 degrees, probably, the glaciers have been melting, but we cannot feel this as yet. <…> Last year, the icebreaker-free period was almost two months longer, this year it will be shorter, thus the total rate would mean no changes," he said.
In late 2021, many vessels expecting icebreakers got stuck in the eastern sector of the Northern Sea Route due to complicated ice conditions. The Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic said then the navigation had been organized in compliance with an inaccurate ice forecast.