NIBULON’s fleet has passed the test of unexpected deterioration of weather conditions. Considerable precipitation, gale-force wind of up to 20 m/s and considerable temperature reduction led to fast formation of ice brash, ice cover, and also ice hummocks on the whole areas of the Dnipro Basin that is not typical for this period of the year. Unfavourable weather conditions have affected NIBULON’s navigation plans as to winter docking of the vessels. Thus, the weather has caught NIBULON-1 and NIBULON-4 tugs with two non-self-propelled vessels on their way from NIBULON’s terminal in Pereyaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyy district (Kyiv region) to Mykolayiv city. High-class equipment and capacity of the vessels allowed them to reach a safe place on the Dnipro River around Sokyrna village (Cherkasy region). The vessels will stay here until weather conditions improve. Today the crew, as usual, works on a rotational basis in normal mode, they are provided with food for 2 weeks, stores of fuel and lubricating materials will be enough till spring 2013. Energy-supply of the vessels is autonomous. The crew is supplied with warm working clothes. Besides the above mentioned vessels, in the Dnipro Basin towards Myshuryn Rig village (Dnipropetrovs’k region) NIBULON -1 tug is moving with two non-self-propelled vessels NBL-003 and NBL-017 in order to have a scheduled outage and to wait for improvement of weather conditions. Prybuzhanivs’kyy tug of NIBULON together with non-self-propelled vessel NBL-020 is moving along the Kherson Sea Canal to NIBULON’s transshipment terminal in Mykolayiv city. The approximate arrival time is 02:00 am, December 22. Unfortunately, in such a situation the crew can rely on their own resources, as at present in the Dnipro Basin there are no vessels of higher class. The company’s fleet has to operate in ice hummocks with thickness of up to 1m and with water rifts – up to 2 m. The present situation has confirmed that NIBULON’s fleet is able to pass the test in difficult working conditions. This fact proves that all the declared characteristics of the vessels correspond to the designed ones. The given situation will have no effect on contracts execution. There was performed scheduled transportation of agricultural commodities to the transshipment terminal. The transitional remains of agricultural products for 2013 allow the company to ensure uninterrupted grain shipment during 3 months till the beginning of the navigation season of 2013. Storage conditions of agricultural products in NIBULON’s non-self-propelled vessels are identical to elevator ones. Consequently, that does not matter where grain is stored. Despite correctives made by the weather, NIBULON works in normal mode. The company thanks the captains and the crew of the tugs for their self-control, high professionalism and ability to react to objective changes of navigation conditions. We advise the mass media representatives not to search for “loud sensation” but to address to the company in order to get reliable information if necessary. As far as possible we can make an excursion and the crew will treat you to some hot tea or coffee. For information. During the last navigation season the volume of NIBULON’s river shipping operations (including for export) comprised about 800 thousand tons. During this year’s navigation season the company has shipped for export about 1 mln 300 thousand tons of agricultural commodities. It is pleasant to note that “Pereyaslavs’ka” branch (Kyiv region) has shipped to water transport 62 642 tons of agricultural products and “Kozats’ka” branch (Kherson region) – 53 919 tons. These are transshipment terminals that have been put into operation in July 2012. On completion of implementation of NIBULON’s investment project to revive the Dnipro River and other rivers as transport water ways of Ukraine, the volume of NIBULON’s river shipping operations is going to be increased up to 3 mln tons.