A meeting of the Council of Northern Sea Route Shipping Participants was held as part of the Eastern Economic Forum 2026
Mumbai: A meeting of the Northern Sea Route Shipping Council (NSRC) was held as part of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2026) business program. Representatives from Rosatom State Corporation, Roscosmos State Corporation, the Lomonosov Moscow State University Marine Research Center (MRC MSU), leading shipping companies, and maritime educational institutions participated in the event.
The meeting opened with a report on the interim results of navigation in the Northern Sea Route. Vladimir Arutyunov, Deputy Director General of FSUE GlavSevmorput and Chief of the Marine Operations Staff, noted that despite the challenging ice conditions, which are difficult to manage even in the summer and fall, a high degree of navigation organization was ensured. This was made possible by the centralized management and coordinated work of FSUE GlavSevmorput specialists, who, taking into account the challenging ice conditions on the approaches to the Boris Vilkitsky Strait, developed navigation routes for vessels north of the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago and ensured the organization of vessel escorts..
A separate agenda item included a discussion of the results of five years of comprehensive environmental and biodiversity monitoring in the NSR waters. Since 2021, Rosatom State Corporation and the Moscow State University Center for Environmental Monitoring have been working intensively to ensure environmental safety in the NSR waters. They have conducted extensive studies of the current state of marine ecosystems, developed and tested digital services that have proven effective, and developed a comprehensive monitoring program for the subsequent implementation of a full-fledged state environmental monitoring subsystem in the NSR waters. Based on the results of these studies, no significant negative impacts of shipping on the state of marine ecosystems have been identified to date. This work allows for the ongoing monitoring of ecosystem components.
“This year, leading companies joined the project – PJSC NOVATEK, PJSC Gazprom Neft, and PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel. I would like to thank our partners for their collaboration. The result of this collective effort gives us confidence that the monitoring will continue annually. We also hope that other companies will join this work – open data allows everyone working in the region to contribute to the study and preservation of the fragile Arctic ecosystem,” emphasized Vladimir Panov, Director for the Development of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic and Director of the Arctic Directorate of the Rosatom State Corporation.
Council Chairman Sergey Frank summarized the discussion: “The Council remains focused on the organization of high-quality ice reconnaissance along the NSR, including through the use of orbital satellites. Council members noted the significant work carried out by the Roscosmos State Corporation in forming the corresponding space constellation. At the same time, the Council believes that continued work in this area is essential, as the quality of ice reconnaissance has a significant impact on navigation safety in NSR waters and increasing the commercial speeds of transit voyages. This is particularly relevant for solving the problem of organizing year-round navigation in the eastern Arctic. The issue of the financial and economic model for the development of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor also generated lively discussion during the meeting. It is necessary to note the significant work carried out by Rosatom, with the participation of the Ministry of Transport. The meeting participants emphasize the need to maintain stable rates for icebreaker assistance to ensure the economic competitiveness of the route. For the first time, representatives from maritime education institutions participated in the Council’s work, reflecting the importance of training personnel given the growing volume of shipping along the NSR and the commissioning of a new generation of vessels, including those built at Russian shipyards.”
The next meeting of the Council of Participants in Shipping along the Northern Sea Route is scheduled for the end of 2026.
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The Northern Sea Route (NSR) Shipping Council was established following a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation on the development of the Russian Arctic zone, held in April 2022. At its meetings, the Council considers proposals for an action plan aimed at improving navigation safety in the Northern Sea Route and enhancing the competitiveness of Russian Arctic shipbuilding.
The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic zone is one of the state’s strategic priorities. Increasing shipping volumes along the NSR is paramount to achieving these objectives. The development of this logistics corridor is supported by establishing regular freight services, building new nuclear-powered icebreakers, and modernizing the associated infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively participating in this effort.
