Russia's icebreaker fleet, which forms the backbone of its strategic presence in the Arctic, stands out as an unparalleled capability in the world. GlavSevmorput General Director Sergey Zybko emphasized that this success is based on an engineering tradition passed down from generation to generation since the Soviet era.

Zybko said, "The engineers who built the Soviet icebreakers trained the next generation, and they built the Russian icebreakers. Russia has always had the task of working in the Arctic, delivering goods, and sustaining life in remote settlements."
With the development of this fleet, Russia's capabilities in the Arctic expanded. The Northern Sea Route was developed both in the west and east, and new partners were attracted. Zybko stated, "Navigation in the Arctic has become possible year-round. Other countries have realized that they can shorten shipping routes by using the Northern Sea Route and Russian icebreakers, which can guide ships in places where no one has gone before." He added that no other country has solved these tasks.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump had previously stated that his country faces a serious problem in this area. Trump noted that the US currently has only one old icebreaker, while Russia has a large icebreaker fleet, and said, "Americans tried to build their own new icebreakers but failed."