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Ice-trapped Akademik Shokalsky makes its way out through dense ice

“We continue to sail northward, changing courses and speed. The speed is 7 knots,” the ship’s captain, Igor Kiselev, said

© ЕРА/ИТАР-ТАСС

VLADIVOSTOK, January 07, /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian ice-nipped research ship Akademik Shokalsky is making its way out through dense ice on its own.

“We continue to sail northward, changing courses and speed. The speed is 7 knots,” the ship’s captain, Igor Kiselev, said.

He said “the ship’s technical condition is satisfactory, without changes.”

There were 74 people on board research vessel trapped in ice on December 25, including 22 members of the Russian crew and 52 passengers - a group of scientists from the Australian Antarctic expedition and travellers accompanying them.

The crew remained on the ship, while passengers, their luggage and research equipment were evacuated on January 2 and taken by the Australian Aurora Australis icebreaker. A helicopter from the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long was engaged in the evacuation operation.

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