Russia has floated out the world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker ship called Sibir.
- This ship will reinforce Russia's leadership in the Arctic.
- Sibir designed to transport cargo along the Northern Sea Route.
- It was launched into the water at the Baltic Shipyard in St Petersburg.
- It is powered by two nuclear reactors and will be able to break ice fields up to three metres thick, clearing the path for Russian ships delivering gas to Asia.
- Russia plans to build another vessel called The Leader, which will break through ice up to 4.5 metres thick, and keep the Northern Sea Route and Arctic coast open all year round.
- Sibir is the second of three icebreakers of a new class of the biggest nuclear-powered icebreakers ever constructed.
- The first one, called Arktika (the Arctic), was floated out last summer and is set to be completed in 2019.
- It weighs 33,500 tons and is more than 576 feet long.
