Russia commissions new armed icebreaker Ivan Papanin to expand control over Arctic routes.

On September 5, 2025, the Russian Navy officially commissioned the first Project 23550 armed icebreaker Ivan Papanin during a flag-raising ceremony at Severomorsk, the headquarters of the Northern Fleet. The vessel, the first of its class to enter active service, is expected to carry out Northern Fleet missions from bases on the Kola Peninsula to expand Russia’s Arctic operational capacity. Tasks will likely include patrol of Arctic waters, escort and towing of detained or distressed vessels, and support for logistics movements to isolated garrisons.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The Russian Project 23550 class of armed icebreaking patrol ships unifies the functionalities of a patrol ship, tug, and icebreaker to support year-round Arctic tasks across Russia’s high latitudes. (Picture source: TASS)

The commissioning of this ship was led by Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, with participation from Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov, Commander of the Northern Fleet, Murmansk governor Andrey Chibis, USC first deputy director Andrey Buzinov, Admiralty Shipyards deputy director Sergey Yurchuk, and Almaz design bureau chief engineer Mikhail Alyoshin. The ship, built by Admiralty Shipyards in Saint Petersburg and designed by Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, represents the first of its class to enter active service. The vessel now becomes part of the Northern Fleet after completing a sequence of trials and inspections carried out earlier in 2024 and 2025.

The contract for two ships of this type was signed on April 25, 2016, between the Russian Ministry of Defense and Admiralty Shipyards. Construction of Ivan Papanin began in September 2016, followed by its official keel laying on April 19, 2017, and launch on October 25, 2019. Delivery was originally scheduled for the end of 2019, with the second ship due in 2020, but delays due to financing and production factors postponed the program. In 2018 and 2019, Admiralty Shipyards’ management indicated the handover could only occur in 2023, but even this date was missed. Factory sea trials finally commenced on June 28, 2024, with the ship sailing from Saint Petersburg to Severomorsk on March 31, 2025, for the last stages of testing. Its commissioning in September 2025 closed a lengthy development period in which deadlines were extended multiple times.

The design of the Project 23550 armed icebreaker, officially designated as an ice-class patrol ship, combines the roles of patrol ship, tug, and icebreaker, with the ability to navigate ice up to 1.7 meters thick. The ships are classified as Arc7 ice class and are intended for operations in unrestricted waters, including Arctic regions where ice conditions prevent the use of conventional surface combatants. Their missions include protection and monitoring of Arctic water resources, escorting and towing detained ships to port, support for supply vessels, search and rescue tasks, and the transport of specialized cargo. In addition, the design is capable of participating in combat operations with artillery fire against sea, land, and air targets. The class is positioned by the Russian Navy as a multi-role solution to sustain operations along the Northern Sea Route and in remote Arctic sectors where infrastructure is limited.

The Ivan Papanin-class has a displacement between 8,500 and 9,000 tons, with some sources noting 6,800 tons at standard load. Length is given as 114 to 114.5 meters, beam as 18 to 19.5 meters, and draft around 6 to 6.5 meters. Maximum speed is about 18 knots, with economical speed around 10 knots, while range reaches 10,000 nautical miles at economical speed. Endurance is listed at 70 days, allowing the ship to remain deployed for extended Arctic patrols. Propulsion is diesel-electric, with four Kolomna 28-9DG main diesel generator sets rated at 3.5 MW each supplying power to two 6.3 MW propulsion motors driving twin shafts. Maneuvering is supported by two bow thrusters, and early design stages had also examined azimuthing podded propulsion, although conventional shaft lines were selected for the Navy configuration. The core crew is about 60 personnel, with accommodation for up to 50 additional mission specialists.

The vessel’s armament in its Navy version includes a 76 mm AK-176MA naval gun, heavy machine guns, and man-portable air defense systems. It has a flight deck and hangar designed to accommodate a Ka-27 or Ka-226 helicopter as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship can carry multiple types of small craft, including fast patrol boats and amphibious assets. At the time of commissioning, Ivan Papanin embarked on a Project 23321 Manul hovercraft designated DShK-3 Ernst Krenkel and a Project 02800 landing craft designated DShL-4 Pavel Semenko. The design also allows for two Project 03160 Raptor patrol boats to be embarked, depending on mission needs. Modular container-based systems are part of the design concept, enabling the integration of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles or Kh-35 Uran anti-ship missiles in standardized ISO containers. In 2020, Russian officials referenced trials of containerized armament modules that could expand the combat capabilities of these ships with additional weapons or sensors.

Beyond the two Navy units, a modified version of Project 23550 known as Ermak is being built for the Border Guard of the Federal Security Service of Russia. The Ermak design incorporates the same hull and icebreaking capabilities but with adjustments to weaponry. The first of these, Purga, was laid down at Vyborg Shipyard on July 25, 2020, and launched on October 7, 2022, while the second, Dzerzhinsky, was laid down on December 22, 2023. These ships carry a 76 mm main gun, 30 mm AK-630M close-in systems, 14.5 mm mounts, 12.7 mm machine guns, and portable air-defense systems, providing a defensive fit tailored to border patrol duties. The Navy’s second ship, Nikolay Zubov, was laid down on November 27, 2019, and launched on December 25, 2024, with sea trials scheduled for late 2025 or early 2026, and delivery expected no earlier than late 2026. Current planning indicates four ships under the combined Navy and Border Guard program, with three afloat and one under construction as of September 2025.

Ivan Papanin is expected to carry out Northern Fleet missions from bases on the Kola Peninsula. Tasks will likely include patrol of Arctic waters, escort and towing of detained or distressed vessels, and support for logistics movements to isolated garrisons. The commissioning of this ship is part of a larger program to expand Russia’s Arctic operational capacity, which has seen multiple new ships enter service in recent years, including the Evpatiy Kolovrat in 2024 and other surface combatants in 2023, such as Admiral Golovko, Naro-Fominsk, and Lev Chernavin. Russian officials, including Admiral Moiseev and Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, emphasized during the ceremony that the ship will contribute to maintaining the safety of the Northern Sea Route and to supporting national development goals in the Arctic. The vessel carries the name of Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin, a Soviet Arctic researcher, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, and rear admiral, linking the project to a figure associated with polar exploration and Arctic operations.