MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The vessel would have a cruising range of 12,000 nautical miles and an endurance run of two months, a Navy commander said.
"On April 23, the Admiralteiskie Verfi [Admiralty Shipyards] company in St. Petersburg will start constructing the Ilya Muromets diesel-electric icebreaker due to become the first one for the [Russian] Navy for a few decades," he said.
Russia is looking to build up its presence in the oil- and gas-rich Arctic region in accordance with the country's revised military doctrine, signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2014.
The document named the protection of national interests in the Arctic among the main priorities for its army in times of peace, for the first time ever.
President Putin said that although Russia did not plan to militarize the Arctic, but would take necessary steps to ensure its defense capabilities in the region.
