| Summary: | The paper considers the current status of Russian Icebreaker fleet. The potential application of sum of degree-days of frost to characterize easy, moderate and difficult ice conditions in the Russian seas is proved. The restrictions for different ice-class vessels to navigate in easy, moderate and difficult ice conditions are analyzed. It is shown that the power of the modern icebreaker fleet enables to navigate successfully in the Russian seas in conditions of mild and moderate winters, as well as in conditions of severe and extremely severe winters. The analysis of construction and operation of the modern icebreaker fleet in 21st century leads to the conclusion that the real challenge of winter navigation in the non-Arctic seas is not due to ice thickness but due to the increasing number and size of vessels requiring icebreaker assistance.
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