17 cargo ships escorted by icebreakers at Big Port St. Petersburg
Six icebreakers of a fleet of seven vessels deployed by Rosmorport in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland continued its icebreaking and escort duties at the Big Port St. Petersburg. For the last 24 hours, the Kapitan M. Izmailov, the Kapitan Dezhnev, the Kapitan Zarubin, the Ivan Krusenstern, the Mudyug and the Yuri Lisyansky have escorted 17 merchant ships to / from the port, a spokeswoman for Rosmorport told PortNews.
Overall, since the beginning of ice navigation season the icebreakers have performed more than 198 ship escorts.
Previously, in connection with the formation in the waters of Big Port St. Petersburg of early stages of ice, needle ice in the Neva River, cold temperatures, the Port Authority introduced restrictions on ice-class of vessels sailing to / from the port, effective as of the midnight of December 24, 2012. From the date, according to the order, the ATBs will be banned from entering the harbor as well as ships without ice class hulls should be escorted by icebreakers. The vessels having any ice-class are permitted to sail independently using the regional icebreaking operations center’s notice or may request the icebreaker assistance.
Earlier, Rosmorport said it would deploy its own 14 diesel-powered icebreakers and one nuclear-powered vessel of Atomflot in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland to ensure safe and smooth shipping in the 2012-2013 winter season.