8 nuclear-powered icebreakers escort, Chinese cargo ship arrives in the UK via the Arctic, Pentagon is very disappointed!
Recently, a Chinese cargo ship named "Istanbul Bridge" departed from Ningbo and arrived at the Port of Felixstowe in the UK in just 20 days, setting a new record for Sino-Europe shipping. This route saved nearly half the time compared to the traditional route through the Malacca Strait and the Suez Canal.
The 25,000-ton "Istanbul Bridge" cargo ship carried about 4,000 standard containers. With the escort of Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers, it safely navigated through previously impassable Arctic waters, successfully delivering goods such as clothing, energy storage equipment, and battery power units to the Western market.
In recent years, the U.S. and its allied navies have invested significant resources to plan potential schemes for an "offshore blockade" of China at critical points such as the Malacca Strait. The Northern Sea Route has allowed China to successfully bypass waters controlled by the West, weakening the feasibility of the West's blockade on Chinese trade.
In 2020, the U.S. Naval Institute even published a study suggesting that if U.S.-China relations deteriorated, it could consider hiring "privateers" to attack Chinese civilian vessels. However, the situation in the Arctic is different. Russia's presence in the Arctic is remarkable. Russia currently has 41 icebreakers, 8 of which are nuclear-powered, far exceeding the U.S.'s 3 old vessels.
With the escort of these 8 nuclear-powered icebreakers with unlimited range, the Chinese cargo ship can basically travel safely. In October 2025, the U.S. announced that it spent $6.1 billion to purchase 4 advanced icebreakers from Finland and plans to increase the number to 7. Obviously, the Pentagon is disappointed and hopes to regain military superiority in the Arctic.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1846192960041987/
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