In the 2000s, Russia began renewing the state-owned icebreaker fleet that, at the time, consisted mainly of Soviet-era vessels dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.

[11] In 2011, the Russian government decided to continue the fleet renewal within the framework of the federal program Development of the Transport System of Russia (2010–2020) with three additional 16-megawatt diesel-electric icebreakers.

[9] Modifications to the original design include, among smaller general improvements, a slightly different diesel-electric power plant configuration and more efficient pulling-type propulsion units where the propeller is facing forward.

[16] While the steel cutting for the second Project 21900M to be built by Vyborg Shipyard was not set to begin until sometime 2013,[17] the production began ahead of schedule and the keel laying ceremony was held on 12 December 2012.

[5] After the launching of the first icebreaker, Vladivostok, hull assembly of the sister vessel began on the shipyard's semi-submersible barge Atlant in May 2019.

Her main power plant consists of four 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V32E four-stroke medium-speed diesel engines rated at 6,960 kilowatts (9,330 hp) each.

Her two Steerprop SP 110 ARC PULL Z-drive units,[24] each driven by two 4,500-kilowatt (6,000 hp) electric propulsion motors in tandem configuration,[16] were the most powerful mechanical azimuth thrusters in the world at the time of delivery.