( CNN ) -- It 's the world 's last , great wilderness rich in natural resources , like oil and gas . But now the frozen seas of the Arctic are being opened up ; its vast riches unlocked . The Yamal is one of Russia 's biggest , most powerful icebreakers , and one of the few ships in the world capable of cutting through the thick Arctic pack ice . It does it for one reason : to clear a path for other vessels , so they can take advantage of the frozen Arctic . Escorted by icebreakers , cargo ships and oil tankers crossing the Arctic can shave thousands of miles off a journey between Asia and Europe , saving fuel , and vastly reduce their carbon emissions . Captain of the Yamal , Alexander Lembrik says the Arctic 's untapped potential is the reason behind the dramatic increase in maritime traffic . `` We are now seeing the increase of transport flows again . There are more and more transport vessels , through routes for ships from Europe towards the Bering Strait in the North Pacific , '' Lembrik said . He is concerned that an increase in traffic in the region could have a damaging ecological effect on the Arctic . `` You ca n't deny that possibility but if you take all the precautions , this is avoidable , '' Lembrik said . With a water purification plant and waste disposal system , the crew of the Yamal say the ship 's own ecological impact is minimal . It 's also nuclear powered which means low carbon emissions , but , of course , it 's a risky polluter if anything goes wrong -- just one of the many paradoxes of Arctic ecology . Take , for instance , the problem of global warming caused by greenhouse gases . It is believed to be melting the polar ice caps , making the Arctic waters even more accessible to shipping , slashing journey times . But it 's also opening up the region to exploitation for its oil and gas reserves . And as the traffic in the Arctic increases , so too will the need for icebreakers like the Yamal . And not just for clearing routes -- navigating Arctic waters can be treacherous . An incident in January saw several fishing boats trapped in the ice . It was an icebreaker like the Yamal that broke them free . Adding more cargo ships and oil tankers to the mix , says captain Lembrik , is a big concern . `` As a rule , when the traffic along the Northern Sea Route is organized well , emergencies do n't happen , '' Lembrik said . `` It 's when there are errors in the organization that some ships could find themselves in difficult situations . With the increase in freight turnover there will be a larger number of ships that will need icebreaker assistance . '' For their critics , Russia 's fleet of icebreakers are hastening exploitation of the Arctic . But without capable vessels like the Yamal , these frozen waters may be even more exposed to risk .
Russian icebreaker , the Yamal helping oil and cargo vessels cut shipping times and emissions . The crew of the Yamal say their ecological impact in minimal . Comment: