According to data from early 1997, the fleet consisted of as many as 150 L1 Ice Class icebreakers (WP-167). Icebreaking cargo ships of the SA-15 class formed the core of the Soviet fleet. Even today the SA-15s are the most commonly used icebreaking cargo ships, not just in Russia but around the world. The SA-15 aptly illustrates the main features of icebreaking freighters. "SA-15" is a project name denoting a SubArctic 15,000DWT Ship, for a long series of combined bulk, cargo and RORO vessels.
