Due to improvement of ice conditions, the icebreaking period 2020-2021 ended on April 20 in the seaports Vyborg and Vysotsk of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea and on approaches to them, and from April 21, 2021 – in the seaports of the Big Port St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga and on approaches to them.

We should remind that the period of providing icebreaking assistance for vessels in the Baltic Basin was announced on December 15, 2020 and lasted more than four months.

In total, during the ice navigation period of 2020-2021 more than 1,300 vessels were provided with icebreaking assistance in the above-mentioned seaports. In accordance with the approved layout plan, the availability of Baltic seaports and uninterrupted navigation were ensured by the icebreakers of the FSUE “Rosmorport”, including the largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker Viktor Chernomyrdin, which became part of the fleet in 2020 (capacity – 34.8 MW, ice class – Icebreaker 8).

Taking into account the intensive schedule of vessel traffic, the new icebreaker confirmed the effectiveness of its use in the Gulf of Finland. At the moment, the icebreaker "Viktor Chernomyrdin" is leave for the Arctic for ice tests, where it will also have to undergo a test of icebreaking capability.