Russia plans to send the nuclear-powered icebreaker “Vaygach” from Murmansk to the Gulf of Finland to facilitate the escort of vessels.
According to web site Sea News.ru, “Vaygach” is ready to sail to St. Petersburg, but is being delayed while the operating company waits for permissions to sail through the Danish belts. Eight European states will have to give their permit before a nuclear-powered vessel can sail through the narrow and busy waters.
On Tuesday morning 58 vessels were waiting for icebreaker aid in the Gulf of Finland, RZD-partner writes. 30 of the vessels are eastbound ships, heading for the Russian ports, and 28 are westbound.
The Murmansk-based diesel-powered ice breaker “Kapitan Dranitsyn” has already been sent to the Gulf of Finland to assist the local ice breakers.
The ice situation in the White Sea is also extraordinary this year, and nuclear ice breakers have been sent there for assistance, which is quite rare. Both “Rossiya” and “Yamal” have been escorting tankers to the port of Vitino during the last weeks, Korabelnaya Storona writes.
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