The 28th Ukrainian expedition group left for the Akademik Vernadsky station on March 18, the National Antarctic Science Center reported.
“Even in conditions of large-scale war, we must ensure continuous work of our only Antarctic station, because the results of the activities of Ukrainian scientists on the icy continent are important for the whole world. This is a whole range of the longest in Antarctica meteorological observations, study of climate change, space weather, magnetic field of the Earth and much more. There we are doing a global science of the 21st century and do not stop at all attempts of the enemy to throw us back into the 20th,” – said Director of the National Antarctic Science Center Eugene Wild.
It is noted that in the 28th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition there are 14 participants: nine scientists, three in each field of research, in particular, biology, meteorology and geophysics.
The scientists were joined by doctor, cook, sysadmin, system mechanic, diesel electrician.
The mission will work at the station for a year.
“The team was led by geophysicist Bogdan Gavrilyuk. He goes to Antarctica for the tenth time – it is the absolute record for the Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions. In his previous – 26th ATE – Bohdan was also a basecommander, and after his return in the spring of 2022, he immediately joined the Ukrainian Frontier Service”, – noted the center.
In addition, for the first time in the last five years, the expedition consists only of men.
“Unfortunately, only five women applied for this competition (last year – 19), but they did not overcome all the stages of the competitive selection,” – reported in the scientific center.
As noted, now the expedition members go to Poland, hence the flights to South America, where in the Chilean port of Punta Arenas future winterers are already waiting for the ship “Noosphere”. The icebreaker is supposed to deliver 28 UAE to the station and return 27 UAE, which has already worked in Antarctica for a year, to “the mainland”.
