[1] As a result, the federal program Modernization of the transport system of Russia (2002–2010) included recapitalizing the icebreaker fleet with a number of new vessels.

The other bidders for the $150 million contract included the Finnish shipbuilders Kvaerner Masa-Yards and Aker Finnyards that had previously built a large number of icebreakers for the Soviet Union.

[6] While the state budget did not initially allocate funding for the new icebreakers, the construction was nonetheless set to begin already in 2004 and the lead ship was to be delivered by November 2006.

[7][8] Following the challenging winter navigating season of 2010–2011, during which ice conditions in the Baltic Sea became so severe that Russia was forced to call in the nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaygach from Murmansk to escort ships in the eastern Gulf of Finland,[9] 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.

The new icebreaker, named Project 21900M2, would feature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units and scrubbers to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions, respectively, as well as meet the requirements of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code).

[19][20] In August 2019, Rosmorport opened a RUB 7,549,241,400[note 2] tender for the construction of a 18-megawatt icebreaker to ensure year-round operation of the Russian Far East.

[22] However, construction of the vessel has been subcontracted to Pella Sietas in Hamburg, Germany, for which the 100 million euro order is the biggest single contract in the company history.

[28] The tender was extended by two weeks in late April and finally declared invalid on 12 May after no bids had been submitted for the construction of the new icebreaker.

[39] On 26 October, the shipbuilding contract was awarded to the only bidder, Vyborg Shipyard, which had previously built two icebreakers based on the preceding Project 21900M design.

[42] However, already in October 2022 the General Director of Vyborg Shipyard, Aleksandr Solovyov, stated that the delivery had been postponed from 2025 to late 2028 and 8 to 10 billion rubles of additional financing would likely be required to complete the construction of the icebreaker.

[43] In January 2025, the Russian government issued a decree allowing postponing the delivery of the Project 21900M2 icebreaker contracted to Vyborg Shipyard to 30 November 2028.

[48][49] For main propulsion, both Project 21900 and 21900M icebreakers are fitted with two electrically driven Steerprop Z-drive azimuth thrusters with four-bladed stainless steel propellers.

Although the layout of the icebreaker remains largely unchanged, the design needs to be reworked for Russian equipment such as main diesel engines manufactured by Kolomna Locomotive Works and azimuthing propulsion units supplied by Zvezdochka.