ST. PETERSBURG, September 16. /TASS/. Polar explorers relocated an Arctic drifting station to another ice floe 430 km from the former location. The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute's press service reported successful personnel shift and supplies' delivery to the North Pole-42 expedition.

"The new ice floe of about 36 square kilometers and up to two meters thick will be a platform for the scientists until the spring of 2026," the press service said.

The station's relocation featured the Akademik Tryoshnikov scientific expedition vessel and Mil Mi-8 MTV helicopters (Krasnoyarsk's Krasavia).

The polar explorers have received about 50 tons of cargo - fresh food, fuel, scientific equipment and parcels from families. The Akademik Tryoshnikov has laid a channel for the ice-resistant platform to the new ice field. Scientific equipment has been deployed on the ice floe and the Russian tricolor has been raised there.

"It is for the first time in the history of Arctic scientific research that a drifting station has been moved to such a significant distance. This unprecedentedly complex mission is a clear demonstration of effective teamwork featuring polar explorers, scientists, pilots and sailors. <...> New technologies, accumulated experience and knowledge have expanded our abilities to relocate stations and have allowed us actually to adjust the drift trajectory," the press service quoted the institute's Director Alexander Makarov as saying.

The next step will be to create a seasonal ice base in the polar region to offer reliable logistical support for drifting polar explorers, he added.