Due to the severe conditions in the Arctic region the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker and the Sinegorsk and Iogann Makhmastal dry cargo ships will stay for the winter on Chukotka. The situation is not extraordinary. The winter stand-by period is a positive practice to anticipate accidents connected with difficult ice situation.

On January 7, 2017 the FSUE “Rosmorport” Admiral Makarov and Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreakers together with Sinegorsk and the Iogann Makhmastal transport vessels escorted by them, arrived at the seaport of Pevek. The convoy of vessels successfully ran more than 2,100 miles from the Kara Strait eastward in the East Siberian Sea and safely delivered mixed cargo – materials and component parts to build the berth near which it is planned to deploy the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant.

On January 13, 2017 upon completion of unloading, the convoy left the seaport of Pevek. By getting off the Chaunskaya Bay the heavy ice 4-5 miles in breadth prevented the ships from moving.

The FSUE “Rosmorport” icebreakers could pass the heavy ice on their own, but under such conditions the escort of two ballast vessels, the ice class of which corresponded to Arc 5, related to significant risks of serious damage to vessels and to health of crews and the environment.

The FSUE “Rosmorport” icebreakers' attempts to map a route for unobstructed passage of the Iogann Makhmastal and the Sinegorsk in the heavy ice have failed. By assessing the situation objectively, a decision has been taken to place both dry cargo ships in direct proximity of the seaport of Pevek for the entire ice season before the start of summer/autumn arctic navigation, approximately till the end of May and the beginning of June 2017. In order to ensure safe mooring the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker will also stay for the winter in the Chaunskaya Bay. The Admiral Makarov icebreaker moved eastward for its further operation for the benefit of FSUE “Rosmorport”.

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The dry cargo ships escorted by the FSUE “Rosmorport” Admiral Makarov and Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreakers successfully delivered about 10,000 tons of general cargoes to Chukotka to build the berth of the FNPP Akademic Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant. This floating nuclear power plant will make it possible to effectively resolve energy problems in several remote areas of the Far North. The construction of the facility is planned to be ended in 2018.

As a rule, navigation in the seaport of Pevek finishes in November. But to make supplies of construction materials regular a decision has been taken to extend the navigation till January.