If true the ship would be ten - thirten feet in ice. That could possibly start to put the ships power plants and propulsion in danger. Once the sea water intake and discharge ports freeze up the ship can't function. That would include back up generator.
nuke the ice
or abandon ship and pick them up in a helicopter
An East wind blew the ice into the Russian Ship. It got stuck 2 miles from open water. The wind is still blowing and forecast to blow for at least 3 more days. Gale force at times. Now the ship is 20 miles from open water. The ice is 3 to 4 meters thick. None of the ice breakers are capable of break 4 meter thick ice. It is hoped that 2 ice breakers working together might be able to reach her. The Chinese ship is not stuck, it is standing by waiting for another ice breaker to arrive and help. The next ice breaker is due in 24 hours.
Were I on the stuck ship I would be worried about a hull failure. 15 feet of ice driven by gale force winds will put a lot of pressure on the hull. Should all else fail the ship be be evacuated via helo from the Chinese ship.
Photos of the Russian vessel show its bow up on the ice and listing a few degrees. I think it is going to have to be abandoned.
What most people don't know about the strength of ice is that in WWII, the Red Army made train bridges of ice to cross frozen rivers and lakes. They would pump water onto the existing ice and built up a layer to the required thickness and then lay track across it.
They could build an ice bridge faster than a conventional bridge and that in part greatly aided them in their winter offensives.