Icebreakers owned by Rosmorport, the Captain Demidov and the Captain Chudinov have escorted a convoy of nine ships from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, and 3 ships to the port of Kavkaz, the Azov Ice Operations HQ reports. Meanwhile, Rosmorport’s the Kapitan Moshkin and the Kapitan Krutov cutting a path for a convoy of 15 vessels from the Sea of Azov are 30 nm off the Kerch Strait, as of 20:00 (GMT).
There are 31 ships in the Sea of Azov, 15 of them en route, 12 – awaiting assistance and 2 are stricken ships. At least 93 vessels are in the Black Sea bound to Azov Sea-based ports, only 38 of them with ice-class.
The Rosmorport owned icebreakers were deployed and operate in the area in accordance with the instructions of the Ice Operations Headquarters (IOHQ) led by Harbour Master of the Port of Taganrog. Currently, the IOHQ is busy freeing ice-trapped vessels and escort them to open water in the Kerch Strait. The Azov Sea is "closed" for arrivals, while the Russian ports of the Azov Sea are accessible for incoming vessels. The icebreakers work in pairs clearing a passage for the vessel to then start organizing ship convoys to escort them both to the north-east towards the port of Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don, Eisk, and from the ports to the Kerch Strait, as well as to assist the ships at the port of Temryuk.
FSUE Rosmorport has now a fleet of four diesel-electric icebreakers in the area operated by its regional Azov and Black Sea branches. In addition, the Port of Taganrog has the icebreaking tug Kama, the same class vessel Kapitan Kharchikov operates at the port of Azov, Port of Rostov-on-Don has the icebreaking tug Phanagoria.