The Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between European Russia and the Far East, a historical integrated national transport system. It comprises the Barents, Kara, Lapteviykh, Eastern Siberian and Chukotka Seas into which flow major Russian rivers - the Severnaya Dvina, Lena, Ob, Yenisei and Angara - that are the main transport arteries in north-western Russia, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.
The Northern Sea Route is also the shortest way between the ports of Western Europe, the Far East and South East Asia that can take on a significant part of the cargo transported through the Suez Canal. The increasingly frequent pirate attacks on ships sailing through the Suez Canal along the Somali coast have led to a sharp rise in insurance costs forcing shipping companies to change routes.
The length of the route depends on the choice of the specific path: it is 3,500 nautical miles when sailing in the littoral zone, 2,890-3,340 miles using high-latitude routes and 2,700 miles closer to the North Pole. The choice depends on the draught of the vessel and the ice conditions. The Northern Sea Route is covered in ice for more than six months a year. Icebreaker support is a major element of safety.
The development of Arctic minerals and their transportation via the Northern Sea Route require the building of many transport and support vessels.
As part of the Sea Transport sub-programme of the Federal Targeted Programme The Development of the Russian Transport System (2010-2015) the federal budget will finance the building of one 60-megawatt nuclear-powered multi-purpose icebreaker and three regular diesel-powered 25 megawatt icebreakers, plus 12 hydrographic vessels. The development of the Arctic transport fleet is financed by shipping and mining companies. About 60 vessels, including 18 tankers, are to be delivered by 2020.