Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route. Speaking at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society, Putin said that this may happen "in the very near future, in the coming years."
Earlier, the director of the Main Geophysical Observatory, Vladimir Kattsov, said that accelerating climatic changes in Russia could trigger the destruction of permafrost, decrease the amount of sea ice in the Arctic and even cause ice on the Northern Sea Route to disappear entirely.
New opportunities are opening up for Russia as climate on Earth is changing. The navigation period on the Northern Sea Route will expand due to the melting of ice and glaciers. Such changes may bring additional profit to Russia.