Four southern ports impose requirements on ships, effective 20-21 Dec.
Harbourmasters of the ports of Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog have announced ice restrictions, which come into force as of midnight December 20, 2012. The vessels making calls at these ports should have on board fuel, water, food and other supplies needed to ensure not less than 10 day endurance of a ship. To ensure safety of navigation the ports ban from entering its water area and access channels tug/barge units, any towing operations are prohibited except emergency ones (this restriction does not apply to towing vessels by icebreakers and to mooring operations at the ports).
Similar restrictions are effective for port of Yeysk, as of 12:00 (Moscow Time), December 21.
Besides, additional restrictions are imposed on ice-class of cargo ships at the port of Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog, effective as of midnight December 22, 2012. Since that time, only the ships with ice class not lower Ice1 (of RMRS classification), or with similar characteristics of hull category of the classification society, which registered the ship.