Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin gives additional instructions on the NSR development

The task is to accelerate the creation of a national Earth remote sensing system for monitoring ice formation and conditions

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has given additional instructions to responsible ministries and agencies following the results of the strategic session on the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the government's press service said in its official Telegram Messenger.

One of the instructions concerns the acceleration of the creation of a national Earth remote sensing system for monitoring ice formation and ice conditions on the basis of a modern national space satellite constellation. Such a system will provide radar sounding of the ice developments throughout the entire NSR water area in the given parameters.

Rosatom, Roskosmos, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Roshydromet will work on the project. They should also take care of: providing users of the NSR with high-quality short-term and long-term hydrometeorological forecasts; on ensuring reliable and stable satellite communications in the territories located north of 70 degrees north latitude, not covered by the Inmarsat system.

A report on the results of this work will be ready by December 1, 2023.

In addition, as part of the previously given instructions, Rosatom and the Ministry of Transport, with the participation of experts from the Council of Participants of NSR Navigation along the shipping lane, should provide for maintaining a balance of interests of cargo owners, shipowners, and icebreaker fleet operators in regulating navigation and icebreaking assistance in the basin of the Northern Sea Route.

Rosatom, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Federal Antimonopoly Service to increase the competitiveness of the NSR, will have to work out the issue of price stability for icebreaking support for escorting ships in the waters of the Northern Sea Route. This work should also involve experts from the Council of Participants of NSR Navigation.