North-Western Basin Branch represented by its Director Sergei Pylin was awarded a certificate of appreciation of the regional public organization “Association of Polar Explorers of Saint-Petersburg” for the impeccable organization of cargo traffic along the shipping routes under the complicated ice and hydro meteorological navigation conditions in 2017, high professionalism and personal courage while performing a state task. 

During winter navigation 2016-2017 three North-Western Basin Branch icebreakers that escorted the vessels sailing under the ice conditions were operating in the Arctic Region. 

A new icebreaker Novorossyisk of the North-Western Basin Branch that has been recently commissioned for operation performed its first arctic sail to Alexandra Land island of the Frantz Josef Land Archipelago in February this year. With its help icebreaker support of 51 heavy-tonnage vessels was conducted in February and March this year in White Sea. Besides, the icebreaker was used as an exposition in the International Arctic Forum “Arctic Region – Territory of Dialogue” that was held in Arkhangelsk in March 2017.

Moskva and Tor icebreakers of the North-Western Basin Branch continue active operation in the water area and approaches to Sabetta Seaport providing safe navigation to vessels. In winter navigation the icebreakers performed 59 icebreaker escorts of more than 90 vessels and more than 230 ice breaking operations at berth’s edge and in the seaport's waters as well as towing operations of the vessels that called at the seaport, and also provided a safe call along the channel and mooring at the technological berth of the first LNG tanker to enter the Sabetta Seaport.