The Russian government has begun discussions with two Indian shipyards regarding the construction of four new icebreakers for operation by Russian state atomic energy company Rosatom.
The newbuilding contracts for the vessels will have a total value of approximately US$713 million. Indian media meanwhile said construction of all four ships will be undertaken at one private and one state-owned yard.
The vessels will be operated on the Northern Sea Route connecting Asia and Europe. However, unlike many of the new icebreakers entering service in Russia, these four vessels will not feature nuclear propulsion.
A joint working group of experts from both Russia and India has been established to finalise the negotiations for the shipbuilding contracts. This group held its first meeting on Thursday, October 10.
Observers believe Russia has turned to India for some of its shipbuilding requirements following the imposition of economic sanctions by the United States and other Western countries.