The icebreaker Kapitan Demidov had to stop her operations in the Azov Sea due to ice shearing and pressure, the Azov Ice Ops Headquarters said.
Previously, the Kapitan Demidov was leading a 5-ship convoy from the port of Yeysk. Meanwhile, the icebreaker Kapitan Chudinov continues guiding a convoy of 11 ships.
The second pair of icebreakers - Kapitan Moshkin and Kapitan Krutov have escorted five ships to the port of Yeisk, 7 vessels - to the Don River and 4 ships to the port of Taganrog. The icebreakers are forming another convoy to escort the ships on March 14.
As of 5:00pm, March 13, there were 17 ships in the Sea of Azov, 16 of them – en route and one damaged ship. Besides, there are 87 ships (11 – ice-classed) to be escorted from the Azov Sea-based ports and 62 vessels (14 of them have ice-class hulls).