“50 let Pobedy” set record speed of reaching the North Pole

Nuclear icebreaker “50 let Pobedy” has set a record speed on the route Murmansk – the North Pole and passed this route in 79 hours. This voyage has become twice faster than it was done by icebreaker “Arktika” in 1977, when the surface vessel reached the North Pole for the first time, the head of fleet operations department, Andrey Smirnov reported to TASS agency.

“Nuclear icebreaker “50 let Pobedy” arrived to the North Pole at 02:33 a.m. on August 17, 2017. This trip was done in honor of the 40th anniversary of the first achievement of the North Pole by nuclear icebreaker “Arktika” in 1977. “50 let Pobedy” started the voyage from “Atomflot” quay and finished it in record time – 79 hours”, said Mr. Smirnov.
The voyage of 40 years ago took 176 hours: “Arktika” left Murmansk port at 20:00 on August 9, 1977 and reached the North Pole at 4:00 a.m. on August 17.

Mr. Smirnov clarified that the North Pole was reached by a surface vessel for 124th time. “For 40 years, the Pole was reached by surface vessels for 124 times, among them 111 times – by Soviet and Russian vessels”, he said.

Source: http://www.morvesti.ru