The plans for the Russian Antarctic Expedition and the parameters of its activities for 2018–2022 have been approved. The new plan is similar to the 2013–2017 expedition and aims to expand Russia’s presence in the Antarctic. In 2018–2019, there will be 110 members of the Russian Antarctic Expedition without counting the ship and aircraft crews; starting from 2021, there will be 125 people on the winter staff and 120 people on the seasonal staff. The plan envisages that the number of the Antarctic stations will be the same as in 2017 until 2020, and starting with 2021, another station (Russkaya) will be added to the all-year stations.
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Prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation in accordance with the action plan to implement the Russian Action Strategy in the Antarctic until 2020 and successive years (approved by Government Directive No. 1926-r dated 30 October 2010) and Federal Law No. 50-FZ “On Regulating the Activities of Russian Citizens and Russian Legal Entities in the Antarctic” dated 5 June 2012.
The signed directive approved the action plan for Russian Antarctic Expedition and the parameters of its activities for 2018–2022 (hereinafter referred to as the plan and the parameters, respectively.)
The new plan is successive of the analogous plan for 2013–2017 (approved by Government Directive No. 28-r dated 21 January 2013) and aims to maintain and develop Russia’s presence in the Antarctic.
The plan envisages priority goals related to developing Russia’s activities in the Antarctic and carrying out comprehensive interdepartmental research that provides for Russia’s leading position in the international Antarctic community.
In particular, it is planned to organise and hold annual Antarctic expeditions in the best possible timeframe to ensure the effective operation of Russian organisations in the Antarctic and scientific research as well as the operation of Russian Antarctic stations and seasonal field bases, plus the cleaning up of the territories of these stations and bases.
According to the approved parameters, there will be 110 members of the Russian Antarctic Expedition in 2018-2019 without counting the ship and aircraft crews; starting from 2021, there will be 125 people on the winter staff and 120 people on the seasonal staff.
The plan envisages that until 2020 the number of Antarctic stations will be the same as in 2017, and starting from 2021, another station (Russkaya) will be added to the all-year stations.
These decisions were made as part of the subprogramme “Organisation and Provision of Works and Scientific Research in the Arctic and Antarctic” of the state programme Environmental Protection, 2012-2020 (approved by Government resolution No. 326 dated 15 April 2014).
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