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Famous Russian voyager to take to air, sea for environmental probes in 2023

The balloon should be ready by late February

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Prominent Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov will measure air pollution above Russia while on a balloon flight and make a twin-hull boat trip across the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean to assess the amount of microplastics in those waters next year, Russian Environmental Operator (REO) who will support the initiative reported on Friday.

"Human impact, including that of consumption and industrial waste, on the environment knows no bounds and has long been a global issue. Reversing this trend is key, and citizens should be made aware of this. We would like to promote an environmentally friendly life, moderate consumption, and the use of reusable and recyclable items," the company quoted its General Director Denis Butsayev as saying in a statement. "Our educational projects are reaching new heights, and we are ready to support the initiatives of eco-warrior Fyodor Konyukhov, who is known both in this country and abroad. Hopefully, our cooperation will be long-lived," he added.

The balloon should be ready by late February. The service life of a balloon exceeds five years, so there are plans to make it a long-term project. Test flights and research tours are set to begin next spring. The traveler may fly across Russia in stages: he may first do research above the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea as well as above Lake Baikal. He is also expected to fly above the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and could travel between Dubai, Qatar, Oman and India.

"REO is planning to support at least two projects by Fyodor Konyukhov - his twin-hull boat trip across the oceans and a potentially record-setting balloon flight that will include air pollution measurements. The REO logo will be seen on the boat, as well as on the gear of the captain and the crew," PR chief Dmitry Boiko added.

Earlier, REO announced a pilot environmental monitoring project under which air pollution will be measured across 103 cities in 15 Russian regions. The company will collect corresponding data from state-run automatic monitoring systems in regions as well as from industrial enterprises and NGOs.

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