Arctic Ice Damages Tanker as Russia Ramps Up Northern Sea Route Oil Shipments

A tanker suffered serious damage to its hull while navigating through Arctic sea ice despite being assisted by an icebreaker, highlighting the risks facing vessels using Russia’s Northern Sea Route as Moscow rapidly expands oil shipments through the Arctic.

The news comes days after Moscow dispatched an unprecedented convoy of sanctioned oil tankers to within 500 nautical miles of the North Pole sending the fleet onto one of the most northerly commercial shipping routes ever attempted in the Arctic.

The incident resulted in an insurance payout of 53 million rubles, roughly $650,000, according to Russian insurer AlfaStrakhovanie, which did not disclose