Alexander Krutikov, Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, has indicated that dredging is being planned to deepen a number of rivers in the Russian Arctic to enhance commercial traffic for both cargo and passengers. Some of the rivers flow into the North-Siberian Sea, part of the Northern Sea Route, which means that cargoes could be transshipped between river and ocean carriers.
This past December Russian officials noted that they were also discussing dredging of the Ob and Irtysh rivers as well as the Anabar, Lena, Yana, Indigirka, and Koluma rivers, all of which are located in northern Siberia.
