The ice navigation season 2023-2024 started in the waters of the seaports of Azov, Astrakhan, Olya, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog and on the approaches to them.

The period of icebreaker assistance to the entrance of the seaports of Astrakhan and Olya and back along the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VCSSC) began on December 13 and 15, respectively. The first icebreaker assistance operations on the VCSSC were carried out using the Kapitan Chechkin icebreaker of FSUE “Rosmorport”. A total amount of vessels piloted out of the seaports of Astrakhan and Olya by icebreakers – 38, and 30 vessels were piloted in.

In the Azov Sea, the ice navigation season was announced on December 15 in the waters of the seaports of Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog and on the approaches to them, however, there have not yet been icebreaking assistance operations by the leading method or as part of convoys in these seaports. The vessels followed independently under the supervision of the icebreakers of FSUE “Rosmorport”, Kapitan Demidov and Kapitan Chudinov, in compliance with the recommendations of the icebreaker crews.

In total, 3 icebreakers have traditionally been involved in work in the Caspian Sea this season: Kapitan Chechkin, Kapitan Metsayk and Kapitan Bukaev, and in the Azov Sea – 6 icebreakers and icebreaking tugs: Kapitan Demidov, Kapitan Moshkin, Kapitan Chudinov, Kapitan Krutov, Georgy Sedov and Phanagoria.

The period of icebreaker assistance in seaports is declared by the order of the seaport captain due to the establishment of negative air temperatures and the beginning of active ice formation.

Earlier, the ice navigation season 2023-2024 began in the water area of the seaport of Arkhangelsk and on the approaches to it, as well as in the Gulf of Finland.