ABSTRACT

Russia has taken numerous steps to harmonise its national legislation with the provisions of the Polar Code. Since its entry into force, there have been a small number of registered violations of the Polar Code on the Northern Sea Route (NSR). To a large extent, this could be explained by the fact that the bulk of navigation on the NSR falls out of the scope of the Polar Code. Another reason is that Russia continues to implement its national navigation rules, which in some cases impose stricter requirements than those of the Polar Code. However, potential risks related to the navigation of vessels in violation of the Polar Code in Arctic waters should not be underestimated. This article also proposes the establishment of an Arctic Port State Control mechanism to address potential challenges associated with the implementation of the Code in the future.