The icebreakers Kapitan Demidov and Kapitan Chudinov have commenced organizing a convoy of ships to escort them from anchorage of the port of Taganrog, the Azov Ice Operations HQ said.
The Kapitan Demidov is guiding one ship from the port of Taganrog to a caravan of 10 vessels led the Kapitan Chudinov. Another five cargo ships from the port of Yeysk will join the convoy later.
The icebreakers Kapitan Moshkin and Kapitan Krutov continue escorting a convoy of16 ships bound for the ports of Yeysk, Taganrog, Azov and Rostov-on-Don.
As of 17:00, March 12, there were 28 ships in the Sea of Azov, including 27 ships en route and one stricken ship, 84 cargo ships are ready to depart from the Azov Sea-based ports, 8 of them have ice-class hulls. There are 57 Azov Sea-bound vessels to be escorted through the Kerch Strait, 9 of them – ice-classed ships.