The cruise program on Atomflot's nuclear-powered icebreakers from Murmansk to the North Pole may be prolonged, said Murmansk Minister for Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Olga Kuznetsova at the Arctic Sea Tourism as a Development Driver of the Murmansk Region conference held as part of the Murmansk International Business Week.

"Last year we worried that these cruises would be suspended for some time due to increasing activity on the Northern Sea Route, but, according to the latest information, they will be prolonged to 2019, and extension to 2035 is under consideration," Interfax reports citing the minister.

Kuznetsova added that the cruise program on nuclear icebreakers remains stable: in 2016 and 2017, the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear icebreaker went from Murmansk to the North Pole five times. Atomflot launched cruises to the North Pole in 1990. Back then this was one of the ways to use the capacities of the nuclear icebreakers. Tourism cruises were carried out by the Rossiya, Sovetsky Soyuz and Yamal icebreakers. After the 50 Let Pobedy was commissioned in 2007, it has been the only vessel taking tourists to the North Pole.