The research and expedition vessel "Mikhail Somov" has returned to the port of Arkhangelsk, completing its third voyage this year for the northern delivery and supply of hard-to-reach stations of Roshydromet and other Arctic facilities.
The voyage lasted almost 70 days, during which the crew passed through six Arctic seas — from Arkhangelsk to Wrangel Island and back.
According to Alexey Barakov, Deputy Head of the Northern UGMS, the expedition was successful, and all tasks were completed. "Mikhail Somov" delivered food, fuel, equipment, repair materials, and a change of personnel to the polar stations of the Northern, Yakut, and Chukotka UGMS. Specialists from the Northern UGMS serviced automatic meteorological and aerological complexes, hydrometric instruments and stations, and also carried out preventive maintenance of communication equipment and computer technology.
The joint work of the Northern UGMS and the "Clean Arctic" movement to clean up the territory at Cape Chelyuskin was also continued.
Having completed its third voyage, the vessel celebrated its 50th navigation season. During the season, it spent 147 days at sea and delivered more than 2,600 tons of cargo to support the Arctic territories. During the inter-navigation period, "Mikhail Somov" will undergo scheduled maintenance, including repairs to the mechanical parts, deck equipment, and interior spaces.
The research and expedition vessel (R/V) "Mikhail Somov" is a diesel-electric ship that can be used in ice navigation with solid ice up to 70 cm thick. It is named after the famous Soviet Arctic explorer Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov (1908—1973).
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the unmanned underwater vehicle carrier, the minesweeper "Afanasy Ivannikov," worked out elements of course task K-2 in the Barents Sea.