ARKHANGELSK, May 20. /TASS/. The Mikhail Somov scientific expedition vessel began the first voyage following repairs at the Krasnaya Kuznitsa plant in Arkhangelsk after running aground, leader of the Hydrometeorology and Environment Monitoring's Northern Branch Roman Ershov told TASS.

"After the repairs, for the Mikhail Somov this is the first regular voyage," he said. "The vessel is ready for tasks of the 2024 season."

The Mikhail Somov will deliver cargo to Roshydromet's polar stations in the White and Barents Seas. The voyage will continue for about a month. Food, equipment, fuel and construction materials will be delivered to 20 polar stations. The route's northernmost destination will be the Malye Karmakuly station on the Yuzhny Island of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. The westernmost station is the station named after Fedorov on the Vaygach Island.

During the voyage, specialists will repair and verify meteorological equipment, communications, computer technologies and energy equipment, and will check stations that conduct offshore coastal observations.

The voyage will feature an ecological expedition of the Arkhangelsk Region's governor's center. Volunteers will clean up territories of four polar stations.

During the current year, the Mikhail Somov is due to make three voyages to supply remote meteorological stations.

During a voyage to the Arctic in 2023, the Mikhail Somov ran aground in the waters of Franz Josef Land on July 24, and came off it on August 8. Repair specialists have fixed a few hull damages.