Ukrainian Antarctic expedition left for the Akademik Vernadsky station

The 29th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition (UAE) has left for the polar station "Akademik Vernadsky". Its departure took place on 11 March from Kyiv. This was reported by the National Antarctic Science Centre.

The team will replace the winterers of the 28th UAE at the station, who worked there for almost a year. A long way awaits the new expedition: by bus - to Poland, by plane - to Chile and from the port of Punta Arenas by the icebreaker "Noosphere" - to the Antarctic.

This is the third rotation of wintering personnel that we carry out during the full-scale war. It is more and more difficult to find professionals for annual expeditions, because many polar explorers or ideal candidates are at the front. There are already several cases when during the selection process potential winterers became servicemen. But despite all the difficulties, we cannot stop the Antarctic programme. We have no such right neither before the past generations, who invested a lot of effort and money to make Ukraine an Antarctic state, nor before the present one, for whom Antarctica is a window to the world of global science, and even less before the future ones, because our presence on the icy continent has extraordinary prospects", - said the Director of NASC Eugene Dikiy.

The 29th expedition includes 14 participants and participants who were selected through an open competition. Among them are 9 scientists (biologists, meteorologists and geophysicists) and 5 representatives of the life support team (doctor, cook, sysadmin, system mechanic, diesel-electrician).

For the first time in the last 27 years, 4 women will work on the expedition. One of the participants, geophysicist Anna Soina, is going on her second wintering trip (previously she was in the 25th UAE 2020-2021). Biologist Tatyana Baglay, meteorologist Valentina Garbarchuk, and doctor Ivanna Koturbash are going on their first expedition.

During the year, the expedition will carry out research in three main areas - biology, geophysics, meteorology, as well as ensure the operation of the Akademik Vernadsky station.