Rosatom Completes First RITM-400 Reactor for Worlds Most Powerful Icebreaker Russia

At the «ZiO-Podolsk» plant, part of the machine engineering division of Rosatom, the production of the first RITM-400 reactor unit has been completed. This reactor will be installed on the atomic icebreaker «Russia.» According to the state corporation Rosatom, the new vessel is set to become the most powerful nuclear icebreaker in the world. The plant operates within Rosatom’s machine engineering division.

The reactor has been named after the legendary Russian hero Ilya Muromets, while the second reactor will bear the name Dobrynya Nikitich. Both of these reactors will be installed on the icebreaker «Russia,» enabling it to break ice over 4 meters thick.

The directive to complete the work was given by the Chairwoman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, and Rosatom’s CEO, Alexey Likhachev. The ceremony took place at the Federation Council, where an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the nuclear industry was opened on May 20, 2025.

Alexey Likhachev described the completion of this project as a significant milestone for the icebreaker fleet, the state corporation, and the nation as a whole.

Igor Kotov, head of Rosatom’s machine engineering division, stated that the second reactor will be manufactured within the next couple of months. Both reactors will be sent to the shipyard for installation on the icebreaker. This project will serve as a gift for the industry’s anniversary and is expected to unlock new possibilities for the development of the Northern Sea Route.