As of Feb. 8, there have been 126 cargo ships trapped in the Kerch Strait, 120 of them foreign vessels, e-Crimea reports citing the Crimean Ministry of Emergencies.
The merchant ships are concentrated at anchorage in the southern part of the ice-shackled strait. Icebreakers are not able to escort the vessels to open water due to severe weather conditions. The Crimea-Kavkaz ferry service has halted operation.
There are also 60 ships stuck in the Azov Sea, many of them need urgent help, with food and fuel stocks running short, including the Turkey-flagged Taurus and a Finnish vegetable oil-laden ship.