29.09.2026, Severomorsk.
The first passage in the history of the Russian Northern Fleet ships through the Shokalsky Strait took place in difficult ice conditions, the Northern Fleet press service wrote on September 29 on the official internet portal of the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Shokalsky Strait, which separates October Revolution Island from Bolshevik Island in the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago, is difficult to navigate due to its narrowness. The Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, Vice Admiral Oleg Golubev commanded of the detachment of ships and support vessels. The detachment, for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy, passed through the Shokalsky Strait and entered the waters of the Kara Sea.
During the passage of the strait, a training alert was declared on the ships in order to increase combat readiness for passing through the narrows. Ice reconnaissance along the transit route was carried out by a Ka-29 helicopter launched from the deck of the ice-class patrol ship Ivan Papanin. The passage of the Shokalsky Strait by the Northern Fleet sailors took place in difficult ice conditions.
The sailors ensured the navigational safety of the voyage; to safely avoid icebergs, they used maneuvering with variable courses and speed. During the passage of the strait, the suitability of the new navigation area for operations of ships of the Russian Navy was assessed.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
