Russian policies for search and rescue and maritime safety on the Northern Sea Route

This study analyses Russian policies for maritime safety and search and rescue (SAR) for the NSR within the overall context of the Arctic region. In Russia, the transport policy is responsible for the safety of transportation and related equipment. The methodological basis for this assessment is the systems theory. The sources for the research are shipping assessment/incident reports by the Arctic Council, the IMO, Russia, and other Arctic countries. As part of the study, the author analyses the effectiveness of Russian maritime safety and SAR in the Arctic. Furthermore, this is compared with the response of select Arctic countries to maritime incidents in the Arctic. The author concludes that the Arctic Council needs to co-ordinate common reporting standards for shipping incidents. In addition, Russia needs to develop a new methodological framework for the organization of rescue operations, improve transport policy, implement a safety culture, create a unified system to fill the gaps in the organization of rescue operations, speed up the development of a SAR infrastructure, and enact a law for reporting and analysis of maritime incidents.