"Leningrad" and "Stalingrad" are not built yet, but they have already increased in price by a third

The Baltic Shipyard, which is part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, plans to revise the cost of building two nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220, better known under the names Leningrad and Stalingrad.


According to the report that the company provided for the period of 2024, the price of both ships may increase by a third of the initially estimated cost. There are several reasons: increased costs for employee salaries, inflation, and increased prices for imported parts.

Initially, the cost of the ship Leningrad, the construction of which began just over a year ago, was stated at 56,6 billion rubles.


"Stalingrad", which has not yet been laid down but is planned for 2025, is valued even higher - 61,3 billion rubles.

However, experts from the Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technology (CSSR) note that the real cost of construction after indexation could reach 73 billion rubles for Leningrad and 79 billion rubles for Stalingrad.

The price increase is due, among other things, to the rise in the cost of imported components, which make up to 75% of the cost of icebreakers. Since 2022, their cost has increased by 30–35%, which has directly affected the overall budget of the projects.

The rise in interest rates on loans has had a significant impact on the rise in the price of ships; they currently exceed 27–28% per annum.

In addition to the icebreakers, additional funding will also be required to complete the Vladimir Vorobyov ship. This is a Project 22770 vessel designed to perform nuclear technology maintenance tasks.

The cost of the ship was initially estimated at 24,8 billion rubles, but now its construction will cost at least 32 billion rubles, and this is according to the most conservative estimates.


USC and Rosatom, which ordered the construction of both icebreakers, confirm the fact of discussions on indexation of construction costs. At the same time, the final decision on prices has not yet been made.

The project is financed by the Russian Federation budget and funds from Atomflot, which is part of Rosatom. If the adjustment is approved, part of the costs may be covered by borrowed money.

Despite the possible increase in price, the delivery dates of the Leningrad and Stalingrad icebreakers remain unchanged. The first is planned to be put into operation in December 2028, and the second exactly two years later.