On Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:04:28 -0700, Fred J. McCall
wrote:

Don't tell them that. They go in and out of there year round. I've
been up there in October and November and it all looked pretty ice
free from what I could see.

The long term Russian goal has been reliable warm water ports. During
WWII were there not periods where Murmask could not be used due to
ice?

IIRC Vladovostok is mostly ice free, but not strategically well
situated.

Of course, with the Earth getting warmer, maybe Murmask will become a
tourist destination and they'll start homesteading in Siberia! :-)