The features of the transport vessels shipping in the Eastern sector of the Arctic by using an automatic identification system are identified in the paper. The main advantages of using the Northern Sea Route as a transport route for goods transportation between Europe and the countries of the Arctic Pacific region, over against the actively used route through the Suez Canal, are presented. The data characterizing the volume of sea freight for the period from 2009 to 2019 is presented. The

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... hydrographic knowledge of the Eastern and Western sectors of the Northern Sea Route is noted, as well as unfavorable navigation conditions in the Eastern sector. It was revealed that the hydrographic knowledge of the Northern Sea Route does not correspond to the requirements of the International Hydrographic Organization, which prescribes the detection of underwater obstacles with sizes up to one meter and their application on the nautical navigation charts. The main directions for the development of the Northern Sea Route infrastructure for the period up to 2035, which include measures aimed at the formation of navigation and hydrographic support, are considered. The data on the distribution of the ships number during the navigation period in the Eastern sector of the Northern Sea Route are presented. The role of hydrographic research in the development of the transport infrastructure of the Arctic seas is noted. The data obtained as a result of the analysis of the large-tonnage vessels navigation during the summer navigation in the Eastern sector of the Northern Sea Route, as well as the parameters of the lane width of the largetonnage vessels are displayed. It contains the main stages of the procedure for determining the lateral deviations of the large-tonnage vessels trajectory from the recommended routes. Based on the results of the data obtained, priority areas for carrying out hydrographic work are identified. The application field of the obtained data and the possibility of using the results in solving practical problems are determined.