Image: Rosatom

The Barents Observer reports that more than 20 ships are either stuck or struggling to make it through increasingly thick sea-ice on the Arctic Northern Sea Route.

They report that over the past several years, shipping along the Russian northern coast has proceeded smoothly in late October and early November. But not this year. Large parts of the remote Arctic waters were in late October covered by sea ice.

Ice maps show that major parts of the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea are covered by sea ice that is more than 15 cm thick. In the eastern parts of the East Siberian Sea are areas with up to 70 cm thick one-year ice, as well as 2-meter thick multi-year ice.

Among the ships that now are located on the eastern part of the route are two oil tankers and a significant number of bulk carriers. Among the latter are three ships bringing iron ore from the Canadian Milne Island to China, and two vessels carrying iron ore from Murmansk.

The tankers Andrei Pervozvanny and Vladimir Rusanov have delivered oil in Pevek, the remote town on the coast of the Chukotka Peninsula. Another four vessels are still moored in Pevek and could get troubles when leaving the remote port.

District authorities in the Russian Far East have dispatched two icebreakers to aid the vessels currently ice-locked in the East Siberian Sea. The nuclear-powered Yamal is due to arrive in the region by 20th of November, while the diesel-powered Novorossiisk will arrive by the 15th of November, according to regional authorities in Chukotka.

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.