Who is not afraid of ice?

Russia is preparing for the coming winter navigation. Rosmorrechflot has already approved the dislocation of icebreakers for winter navigation of 2013-14.

Last year saw a severe ice situation in all sea basins of the Russian Federation as the majority of Russian ports freeze in winter.  Rosmorport is preparing for more weather challenges while new state-of-the-art icebreakers are being built by shipyards.

Al in all, FSUE Rosmorport currently operates 29 diesel-electric icebreakers (not counting icebreakers and tugs being used in the Far East under charter agreements). The provide icebreaking assistance in all ports when required. 

Icebreaker dislocation is subject to approval prior to each winter navigation period. 

The Baltic Basin

As the Gulf of Finland with its strategically significant ports of Saint-Petersburg, Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Vysotsk is especially freezing area in Russia, the majority of icebreakers operate there. 

According to the icebreaker dislocation scheduled for 2013-14, 15 icebreakers including nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy will operate in the Baltic Sea. 

Kapitan Sorokin, Kapitan Nikolayev, Mudyug, Tor and Ermak are supposed to work at the approach fairway.  The latter can also be deployed for operation at port Primorsk, Tor – for operation at Big Port St. Petersburg.

Kapitan Nikolayev (also at approach fairway), Moskva and Kapitan Plakhin will work in Ust-Luga.

Icebreakers Saint-Petersburg and Kapitan Izmailov will work in Vysotsk with the letter to provide assistance at port Vyborg as well.

Nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy is supposed to be deployed from January 28, 2014 for operation in the area of western ice edge – water area of port Primorsk, entrance buoy of Saint-Petersburg.

South Basin

Besides, recent winters showed that the Azov Sea in the south of Russia also freezes to a high extent. Rosmorport’s icebreakers and tug boats also work there.

Last winter 4 icebreakers operated in the Azov Sea: Kapitan Demidov, Kapitan Chudinov, Kapitan Moshkin and Kapitan Krutov.

According to the scheduled dislocation, the above vessels will provide icebreaking assistance in navigation 2013-14. Icebreakers Kapitan Demidov, Kapitan Chudinov and Kapitan Moshkin will work within water areas of port Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Yeisk. Kapitan Krutov will work at port Yeisk and Taganrog. 

Besides, tug boat Fanagoria will assist vessels within water areas of port Azov and Rostov-on-Don; tug boats Kolguyev and Tekhflotovets – at port Yeisk.

The Caspian Sea also requires icebreaking assistance which is to be provided by the Kapitan Chechkin, Kapitan Bukayev and Kapitan Metsajk. This navigation they will escort vessels at port Olya and Astrakhan as well as at the Volga-Caspian Canal.

Far East Basin

The dislocation sets forth that tankers in the Tatar Strait and at port De-Castri will be escorted by the Admiral Makarov and Krasin, icebreakers of the Far East Shipping Company. 

Icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov (Far East Shipping Company) will assist tankers and gas carriers in the La Peruza Strait.

The above icebreakers will be also deployed under agreement with FSUE Rosmorport for operation within the water area of port Vanino as well as at the approaches to the port. The following tug boats will operate at port Vanino: Tungui, Urgal, Chara (Daltransugol CJSC), under agreement with Rosmorport.

Icebreaker Magadan (Far East Shipping Company) time chartered by Rosmorport will assist vessels sailing from the Okhotsk Sea to port Magadan.

Kapitan Khlebnikov is to support the Magadan in case of severe winter.

North Basin

Nuclear icebreakers Yamal, Taimyr and Vaygach will work in the Arctic Basin. The Yamal will assist the expedition of the the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in the Kara Sea (from April 15 till May 30, 2014. Taimyr will escort vessels in the Ob Bay towards port Sabetta, Vaygach – at Yenisey and towards port Dudinka.

5 Rosmorport icebreakers will work in the White Sea towards Arkhangelsk and Kandalaksha: Dikson, Kapitan Kosolapov, Kapitan Evdokimov, Kapitan Chadayev and Kapitan Dranitsin.

Vitaly Chernov