Russia Races To Build Giant Ice-Breakers For Arctic Dominance

Russia has scrambled to become a leading power in the Arctic region, where receding ice cover has allowed Moscow to develop a new shipping route.

At Saint Petersburg's historic Baltic Shipyard, cranes hover over the shining Neva River as hundreds of workers build four nuclear-powered ice-breakers. Fronted by a Russian flag and named after the country's northern regions, the giant vessels are meant to ensure Moscow's dominance over the melting Arctic. Russia has scrambled to become a leading power in the region, where receding ice cover has allowed Moscow to develop a new shipping route. President Vladimir Putin has made the warming region a priority, heavily investing in the so-called Northern Sea Route that allows ships to reach Asian ports up to 15 days faster than via the traditional Suez Canal route.