As of February 7, there are at least 40 cargo ships stuck in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait that are waiting for icebreaker assistance, Rosmorport’s Azov Branch reported. Ten vessels are in the most difficult conditions in the south-western part of the Kerch Strait.
For the past day, one cargo ship, the M/V Dolphin-7, which was damaged above its LWL, has been released from the ice trap, while the icebreaker "Kapitan Moshkin" has evacuated from burning ship Ivan Vikukov four crew members.
Currently, two couples of Rosmorport’s diesel-electric icebreakers are operating in severe weather conditions in the Sea of Azov, according to the plan of Ice Operations HQ led by Harbour Master of the Port of Taganrog. The Kapitan Demidov, the Kapitan Moshkin, Kapitan Chudinov and Kapitan Krutov will be plowing an open water path and then will commence escort of the ships convoys to the north-east to the ports of Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don, Yeysk, from these ports to the Kerch Strait, and assist the cargo ships at the port of Temryuk.
There are three more ice-breaking vessels operating at the port of Taganrog (the tug "Kama"), at the port of Azov (the tug "Captain Harchikov") and at the port of Rostov-on-Don (the tug "Phanagoria”).