The first of three new nuclear powered icebreakers developed and built by Russia -- the largest and most expensive ever built -- will be commissioned in 2019.

Russia, which is the only country on Earth that's ever constructed nuclear powered icebreakers, has built 10 nuclear powered icebreakers belonging to two classes. The newest class is the LK-60Ya-class whose three ships will be the largest and most powerful icebreakers ever built.

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The three ships in this new class (also known as the Lider-class and Project 22220) are NS Arktika, NS Sibir and NS Ural. NS Arktika has been launched and will be commissioned in 2019 while the two others are building.

Russia is beefing-up its icebreaker fleet as as part of its strategy to militarize the Arctic Circle and deny it to NATO. Access to this frozen over region is only made possible by using icebreakers.

All the ships are being constructed at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg on order from Rosatomflot, operator of Russia's nuclear-powered icebreakers and part of Rosatom civilian nuclear power corporation.

The lead ship of the class, NS Arktika, is expected to cost some $1.2 billion, said Deputy Economy Minister Alexander Tsybulsky. This ship has been launched and will be commissioned into Russia's maritime fleet in 2019.

NS Arktika was laid down at Baltiysky Zavod in November 2013 and launched on June 16, 2016. NS Sibir was laid down on May 26, 2015. NS Ural was laid down on July 25, 2016.

NS Arktika is important because "if we speak about the serious development of the Northern Sea Route, we need an icebreaker that will allow making it a year-round route and a leader icebreaker is needed for its full-fledged functioning."

LK-60Ya-class icebreakers are expected to break the ice 4.3 meters thick while sailing at a speed of 11-12 knots.

Each icebreaker will be powered by two RITM-200 reactors developed especially for ships of this class. The icebreaker's advanced dual-draft capability makes it suitable for operations both in the Arctic waters and at the mouths of the northern rivers.

The icebreakers will be operated in deep waters of the western Arctic areas (Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas) and in shallow waters of river estuaries (the mouth of the Yenisey River, the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean, and the Gulf of Ob, a bay in the Arctic Ocean in northern Russia).

United Shipbuilding Corporation CEO Alexei Rakhmanov said the construction of the nuclear-powered icebreakers might take three years and a half.

Tagsnuclear powered icebreakers, Russia, LK-60Ya-class, NS Arktika, NS Sibir, NS Ural