All sea trials for the Severny Polyus (North Pole) platform must be completed without delay in order for the ship to embark on its scheduled fall expedition, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the development of the Arctic.

“The North Pole icebreaker is set to become a platform for international scientific cooperation. The vessel, working as a drifting laboratory, <...> will provide for the widest range of research. <...> This ship is in a league of its own, and the international scientific community is certainly interested in seeing it built and operating,” Putin said. 

He added that it was necessary to complete all the trials so that the vessel could go on its maiden expedition in the fall as planned.