Arctic Ice Build-Up Likely To Cause Shipping Disruptions

Severe weather in Russia's Arctic has led to a build-up of more ice than normal at this time of year and is likely to cause major disruptions to shipping by October, according to the head of maritime operations at the Murmansk Shipping Company, which operates Russia's fleet of nuclear icebreakers that keep the northern shipping route spanning the entire north coast of the country open to shipping throughout the year. He said practically all the main parts of the northern shipping route now have more ice than normal, and it is drifting, making shipping extremely hazardous.