The Baltic Sea Ports Authority Ice Operations HQ reports that icebreakers have escorted 12 units between Dec. 26 and 27 in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Since the beginning of this winter navigation season the icebreaking fleet escorted 113 vessels, including 83 units at Big Port St. Petersburg, and 30 units in the ports of Vyborg, Vysotsk.
There are two icebreakers providing currently icebreaking support to arriving / departing merchant vessels: the Semyon Dezhnev and the Kapitan M. Izmailov. Three more icebreakers are ready to join: the St. Petersburg, the Ermak and the Kapitan Nikolaev. The remaining icebreakers (Ivan Kruzenshtern, Mudyug, Yuri Lisyansky, Thor, Kapitan Plakhin, Murmansk, Kapitan Sorokin and Vladivostok) are undergoing maintenance.
Floating ice with concentration of 9-10/10th is observed in the Neva Bay, between the 16th anchorage and the Golden Gate (10-15 cm thick). The canal is free. Between the 16th anchorage and Dock-Gate Building C-1: 10-cm thick ice with concentration of 6-8/10th. Between the port of Vyborg and the turning buoy of Vysotsk port: light ice of 10 cm thick. The canal is free. Between the turning buoy of Vysotsk port and Vysotsk Gate (including water area of Vysotsk port) – new ice with ice free water from the entrance buoy.