The New Year for the crew of the Admiral Makarov icebreaker of Murmansk branch of the FSUE "Rosmorport" began with a unique operation – towing of the motor vessel "Sparta 3", which lost the ability to independently maneuver due to the failure of the rudder propeller unit.

On January 1, 2021, in the area of Bely Island (water area of the Northern Sea Route), the Admiral Makarov icebreaker joined the emergency towing of the "Sparta 3" vessel with a towing cable 100 meters long in conditions of a medium gravity of the ice field.

The selected towing method for such ice conditions is unique. The fact is that in conditions of a medium gravity of the ice field, the main method of towing is close, but it was inapplicable to the "Sparta 3" due to the presence of a bulb of considerable size, which would create a threat to the icebreaker's propeller-steering group. It is impossible to drive in a long tug in ice because the mass of ice between the vessel and the icebreaker puts a load on the tow line. The only way that requires significant efforts and high qualifications of the icebreaker crew is towing in a shortened tug.

The towing operation took 8 days and was successfully completed on January 8, 2021. During this time, 410 nautical miles were covered in solid ice in a short tug, and the total length of the route to the exit from the Kara Gate was 554 nautical miles.