ST. PETERSBURG, May 14. /TASS/. Participants in the Russian Arctic expedition to Spitsbergen Archipelago will not be able to carry out all planned studies since seasonal groups of scientists cannot reach the archipelago due to closed borders, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Alexander Makarov said at the TASS press center on Thursday.

"Presently, we are unable to send people to Spitsbergen, and I am not sure when it may be possible, as we do not have any information about when borders will be open," he said. "I can only pledge that we shall send our specialists as soon as we have such an opportunity. We have to adjust plans since the seasonal work, which we have planned, cannot be carried out due to the shortage of people."

According to the scientist, the institute uses sea transport to provide the neccessary resources to researchers, who continue working on the archipelago. "The situation is not that dramatic, as we are able to send cargo for the expedition. The recent shipment there set off last week."

Earlier, the institute wrote on its website that on March 19 a group of scientists could not leave for Spitsbergen, because in the pandemic the EU and Norway had closed borders for foreigners. At the same time, the expedition’s leader Yuri Ugrumov told TASS that the expedition would carry out all planned studies despite the closed borders.

Presently, he said, Spitsbergen’s residents and members of the expedition have not reported cases of coronavirus infection there. A new group of Russian scientists will leave for the archipelago as soon as the borders are reopened.

To date, 17 scientists continue working on the archipelago under the expedition. Most of them are year-round staff, conducting observations in Barentsburg settlement.