Over the last day period icebreaker escort services in the Gulf of Finland were provided to 10 vessels, says Ice Operations Headquarters of Baltic Sea Ports Administration.
Since the beginning of the 2015-2016 winter navigation season icebreakers have assisted 76 vessels including 34 vessels at Big Port St. Petersburg, 7 vessels at Primorsk and 35 vessels at Vyborg and Vysotsk.
As of January 15 (10:00, Moscow Time), ice situation is as follows: Neva Bay - 15-25 cm thick ice, ice formation is in progress; Primorsk - 3-5 cm at the approaches and 10 points of thickness of 25 cm in the port’s water area; Ust-Luga – 10-15 cm of border ice at the river anchorage area and no ice at the sea port or at the berths; approaches to Vysotsk - 10-15 cm, Vysotsk-Vyborg canal - 15-20 cm, Saimaa channel – 15-25 cm, Björkösund strait – 15-25 cm thick shore ice with an intensive ice buildup.
The following icebreakers are currently involved in the operations – Semen Dezhnev (seaway canal of Big Port St. Petersburg), Yury Lisyansky (port Primorsk and approaches), Kapitan Izmailov (approaches to Vyborg and Vysotsk ports, Saimaa channel), Ivan Kruzenshtern (Big Port St. Petersburg), Mugyug (seaway canal of Big Port St. Petersburg), Karu (approaches from Nerva island to Vyborg and Vysotsk).
Kapitan Sorokin, Ermak and Kapitan Nikolaev icebreakers are in reserve, ready for operation.
Other icebreakers (Saint-Petersburg, Vladivostok, Murmansk and Kapitan Zarubin) are undergoing technical recovery. Main propulsion power of the Kapitan Plakhin is limited to 73%.