What kind of ship is Xue Long?

Xue Long is an icebreaker sailing under the flag of China, built in 1993 by Kherson Shipyard. The vessel is 167 m long with a beam of 22.6 m and has a gross tonnage of 15,352.

Who is recorded as the owner or manager of Xue Long?

Polar Research Institute of China is recorded as Registered owner for Xue Long (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.

What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for Xue Long?

Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for Xue Long from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for Xue Long. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

Xue Long

Icebreaker · China · built 1993 · AIS Class A

IMO8877899MMSI412018330Call signBNSKLast AIS position Sep 12, 2026, 08:32 UTC

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In short

Xue Long (Icebreaker, China flag) was last seen on AIS on Sep 12, 2026, 08:32 UTC, under way at 10.7 kn, in the Arctic Ocean. Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report. Registered owner: Polar Research Institute of China (source: Wikidata).

Vessel type: Icebreaker
Flag: China
Year built: 1993
Gross tonnage: 15,352
Size (length × beam): 167 m × 23 m
Registered owner: Polar Research Institute of China

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Last reported position

received Sep 12, 2026, 08:32 UTC

Position: 76.4636° N, 1.8264° E
Area: Arctic Ocean
StatusWhat do AIS statuses mean?: Under way using engine
Speed: 10.7 kn
Course: 173°
Heading: 172°

76.4636° N, 1.8264° E

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Voydar detected no port call in the last 30 days.

Port calls are detected by Voydar from AIS (at least 30 minutes slow inside a harbour area); see Port calls below.

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Identity & particulars

Name: Xue Long
IMO numberWhat is an IMO number?: 8877899
MMSIWhat is an MMSI?: 412018330
Call signWhat is a call sign?: BNSK
Flag: China
Vessel type: Icebreaker
AIS ship type: Other
Gross tonnageGross tonnage vs deadweight: 15,352
Length overall: 167 m
Beam: 22.6 m
Year built: 1993

A tag next to a value names the register that supplied it (hover or tap it for the record and date). Values without a tag come from the ship's own AIS broadcasts or from Wikidata. Position and identity are derived live from AIS.

Ownership & management

Each line shows where the fact comes from. Links backed by an identifier point to the company page.

Registered owner: Polar Research Institute of China
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Builder: Kherson Shipyard
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

About Xue Long

Xue Long (simplified Chinese: 雪龙; traditional Chinese: 雪龍; pinyin: Xuě Lóng; lit. 'Snow Dragon', shway-lung) is a Chinese icebreaking research vessel. Built in 1993 at Kherson Shipyard in Ukraine, she was converted from an Arctic cargo ship to a polar research and re-supply vessel by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding of Shanghai by the mid-1990s. The vessel was extensively upgraded in 2007 and 2013. Until 2019, Xue Long was the only Chinese icebreaking research ship in service. A second Chinese polar icebreaker named Xue Long 2, slightly smaller but more capable, entered service in July 2019.

Summary from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Xue Long now?: Xue Long (Icebreaker, China flag) was last seen on AIS on Sep 12, 2026, 08:32 UTC, under way at 10.7 kn, in the Arctic Ocean. Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report.
What kind of ship is Xue Long?: Xue Long is an icebreaker sailing under the flag of China, built in 1993 by Kherson Shipyard. The vessel is 167 m long with a beam of 22.6 m and has a gross tonnage of 15,352.
Who is recorded as the owner or manager of Xue Long?: Polar Research Institute of China is recorded as Registered owner for Xue Long (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.
What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for Xue Long?: Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for Xue Long from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for Xue Long. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

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