The first transit vessel entered the route on June 30, and the last one exited on November 17, making the navigation period approximately four and a half months long. By November 30, 2025, we recorded 103 transit voyages performed by 88 unique vessels, some of which completed two voyages. This number includes all voyages that crossed both boundaries of the Northern Sea Route and did not make port calls within NSR waters. Of these, 52 voyages were eastbound and 51 westbound.
According to Rosatom’s statement made in November 2025, the total volume of transit cargo on the NSR reached 3.2 million tons. Official statistics on the number of voyages and cargo volumes are usually published by Rosatom after the season ends.
The main share of transit cargo traffic consisted of tanker shipments, as in 2024. Tankers completed 34 passages: 23 eastbound and 11 westbound. The second largest group was bulk carriers with 23 voyages, 16 of which were westbound (likely in ballast for repositioning) and 7 eastbound, presumably with cargo. Container ships made 15 voyages: 8 eastbound and 7 westbound. General cargo vessels completed 12 voyages: 10 westbound and 2 eastbound. This category includes the vessel Xin Xin Hai 1, which made two voyages carrying containers, although it is formally classified as a general cargo ship. LNG carriers completed 5 voyages: 3 eastbound and 2 westbound. Other vessel types also participated in navigation: fishing vessels made 7 voyages (4 eastbound and 3 westbound), reefer vessels 3 voyages (2 eastbound and 1 westbound), and one research vessel completed an eastbound voyage. Additionally, a supply vessel, a Ro-Ro ship, and a SAR vessel each made one voyage.
In 2025, number of transit voyages increased by about 6.2% compared to 2024, while cargo volumes grew by roughly 3.2%. Total deadweight rose slightly by 1%, reaching 6,230,057 tons versus 6,155,353 tons in 2024. This shows that overall traffic remained stable year over year. The detailed deadweight data is presented in the table below.
In 2025, the main contributor to growth was bulk carriers, which added 8 voyages (from 15 to 23) and increased their deadweight by 415,485 tons (+28%). Container ships also showed notable growth, with 4 additional voyages (from 11 to 15) and a deadweight increase of 157,362 tons (+39%). General cargo vessels maintained the same number of voyages (12) but grew slightly in tonnage by 19,172 tons (+9%).
Other categories demonstrated mixed trends. Fishing vessels increased from 4 to 7 voyages, adding 2,997 tons (+129%), while tankers declined from 36 to 34 voyages, reducing deadweight by 432,664 tons (—12%). LNG carriers recorded one extra voyage but saw a slight decrease in tonnage (—4%), and reefer vessels grew significantly in tonnage (+278%) despite only one additional voyage. Several categories, including icebreakers, heavy-load vessels, and tugs, recorded no transits in 2025, resulting in a —100% change.
