A blundering nuclear icebreaker was left with a huge gash in its hull after sailing directly into a cargo ship.
Footage from the former vessel shows how it headed straight towards the latter as snow fell at night.
The nuclear-powered icebreaker came to an abrupt stop as its bow hit a crane on the cargo ship’s port side.
READ MORE: Horror for classic car lovers as vintage VW Beetle shop is flooded
The forceful collision caused the latter vessel to sway and smoke to rise from the point of impact.
The blunder happened in the early hours of Sunday (26 Jan) in the Gulf of Ob in Russia’s far north.
Luckily, no one was hurt, but the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker was left with extensive hull damage.
The 159.6-m- (524-ft-) long vessel was attempting to free the bulk carrier from the ice when the mishap transpired.
Despite the damage, the icebreaker, which made its maiden voyage in 2007, remained seaworthy.
Luckily, neither of its two onboard reactors sustained damage in the collision, as reported by Need To Know.
Atomflot, which maintains Russia’s icebreaker fleet, has not given any clues as to what caused the navigation howler.
The Russian-flagged Yamal Krechet’s deck was full of containers as it headed to Sabetta from Arkhangelsk.
It’s not clear what was in the containers, but Sabetta is known to be home to a liquified natural gas plant.
It’s not clear how badly the cargo ship, which is 153.22 m (503 ft) long, was damaged.
READ MORE: Heineken truck in major road smash sends thousands of cans flying down road
