[100212.EN.SEA] Authorities Stops NAVIGATION In Sea Of ​​Azov And The Kerch Strait

Passage through the Kerch Strait is stopped. In ice captivity were 109 vessels. Four of them have followed the port of Berdyansk. Another 2 ships that were loaded at the port, tried to put to sea, but are forced to return to the docks.

According to Captain Berdyansk Commercial Sea Port Alexander Maruhnenko, February 7 ice "plugged" the Kerch Strait, according to "Zaporozhian news."

Strong gusty winds up to 20 m / sec, and temperatures down to -21 degrees contribute to the active formation of ice, shifting of the ice fields, the emergence of hummocks.

Passage through the Kerch Strait is stopped. In ice captivity were 109 vessels.

Four of them have followed the port of Berdyansk. Another 2 ships that were loaded at the port, tried to put to sea, but are forced to return to the docks.

By order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations ship traffic on the navigable channel in the Azov Sea without an icebreaker escort tugs or IB class is prohibited.

Single in the Azov Sea Ukrainian icebreaker "Captain Belousov," assigned to the port of Mariupol, in the circumstances, can provide safe pilotage of vessels only 5-6 at a time.

According to the calculations Russian port workers in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait remains imprisoned in the ice 40 ships, taking into account those who are in safe shelters.

As reported by IAA "IAA" in the Azov Branch "Rosmorport", in the most difficult conditions are 10 ships in the south-western part of the Kerch Strait.

For the past day from ice captivity was derived vessel "Dolphin-7", received in difficult ice conditions, the casing is damaged above the waterline. In addition, the icebreaker "Kapitan Moshkin" brought ashore four sailors, previously evacuated from the burning ship "Ivan Vikulov."

Currently, ice-breakers "Rosmorport" split into two groups of two icebreakers to remove fallen captive to the ice craft. According to the forecast, February 8, is expected to storm winds and a decrease in temperature, increased ice cover and ice formation in the Sea of ​​Azov. The ice situation in the region remains extremely difficult, ridges reach 1.5 m, ice-breakers to cope with labor.

Icebreakers "Rosmorport" act in accordance with the instructions of the Staff of ice operations (passed) , led by Captain Sea port of Taganrog.

At the moment the master plan is the conclusion was going vessels caught in ice-prisoner in the ice edge in the Kerch Strait.

The Azov Sea "closed" to the input, the Russian ports of the Azov Sea "closed" to the output port of the vessel.

Icebreakers work in pairs. When the "clearing" will be completed, only then can we move on to the smooth formation of the wiring and caravans as the north-east towards the port of Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don, Eisk, and from the ports in the direction of the Kerch Strait, as well as to assist the courts in Temryuk.

In the Sea of ​​Azov involved four diesel-electric icebreaker "Rosmorport": icebreakers "Captain Demidov," "Captain Moshkin," and "Captain Chudinov" Azov Basin branch and Rosmorport icebreaker "Kapitan cool" Azov-Black Sea Basin branch of the state.

In addition, the Russian ports running another 3 icebreaking tug:

in the port of Taganrog works icebreaking tug "Kama", in Azov - icebreaking tug "Captain Harchikov" in Rostov-on-Don - icebreaking tug "Phanagoria."

Source : SN-TR, 08.02.12.