Sakhalinsk, Russia, February 23, SPA -- A snow cyclone has forced the air navigation authorities in the Russian Far East to close the airport of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the main air gateway to the insular Sakhalin region, Itar-Tass reported. Cancellations and delays have affected flights bound for various parts of Russia, as well as for Japan, South Korea and China. In the meantime, the regional department of the Russian Ministry for the Emergency Situations /EMERCOM/ said there are no problems with supplies to the island, as the main ferry line between the port of Kholmsk on Sakhalin and the port of Vanino on the mainland is functioning as usual and the operations of the main insular railway line have not been interrupted either. The cyclone, which currently keeps the southern districts of Sakhalin in its grip, is gradually shifting eastwards to the Kurile Islands, carrying with it bursts of wet snow and gale of 17 to 22 meters per second. Weather forecasters have passed an optimistic note for Sunday, saying atmospheric conditions in all parts of the region are expected to start improving as of that day.
