On average, Arctic sea ice is between six and ten feet thick, which means the Arktika can travel almost anywhere in the polar region on a year around basis. The original Arktika was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole on August 17, 1977. The distance between Canada's northernmost point of land and the geographic North Pole is 415 nautical miles (478 statutory miles). The United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has declined to rule on Russia's claim for an extended Russian continental shelf and has asked for additional documentation and research. Should the UN uphold Russian claims, both the geographic North Pole and a large portion of the Arctic Ocean would come under Russian control.

Source: Huffington Post September 11, 2016 11:15 UTC