Over the last day period icebreaker escort services in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland were provided to 4 vessels, says Ice Operations Headquarters of Baltic Sea Ports Administration. Five icebreakers are involved.
Since the beginning of the 2015-2016 winter navigation season icebreakers have assisted 559 vessels.
The St. Petersburg, Karu, Mudyug, Yermak, Kapitan Sorokin, Kapitan Nikolayev, Kapitan Plakhin and Kapitan Zarubin icebreakers are available for operation (operational reserve of Rosmorport’s North-Western Basin Branch). Icebreaker Murmansk is not taken into operation.
Fast 20-30 cm-thick ice is observed in the Neva Bay. From the Entrance Buoy to the C-1 solid 10-15cm-thick ice; between BSF and buoys No 23/24 broken 10-20cm-thick ice; Buoys No 23/24 to Picket 132 – brash ice, 15-25 cm thick. The channel is open for transit.
On the Port of Primorsk access channels the 10-20cm-thick fast ice is observed with 15-25 cm-thick ice in the port's basin and in the Bjerkezund Strait. The channel is open for transit.
Water area of port Ust-Luga is ice-free.
The 10-15cm-thick solid ice is reported on the approaches to the port of Vysotsk, from Rondo and toward Vikhrevoi, 20-30 cm-thick fast ice on the Vysotsk-Vyborg channel.