The government will allocate sufficient funds necessary for the operation of the Akademik Vernadskyi station and the Ukrainian Antarctic expedition. This was reported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
According to the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Maksym Strykh, the allocated budget, amounting to 33.2 million hryvnias, is sufficient to charter the required vessel.
"As a result of the tender procedure, it was possible to charter a ship for the expedition for 1.4 million euros. Although it usually costs 1.5 million euros. But saving even 100,000 euros is very important for us now," Maksym Strikha said.
But changes occurred in the number of expedition participants, from 15-17 to 12 people.
"However, Ukraine will remain an Antarctic state. "Akademik Vernadskyi" station will continue to operate," Maksym Strikha said.
Ukraine received the "Akademik Vernadskyi" station in 1996 from Britain. It was founded by a British expedition in the 1930s on Galindez Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula (then it had the name "Faraday").
For almost 19 years of research, Ukrainian scientists have conducted many studies there in the field of climatology, geology, biology, the study of the earth's magnetic field, etc. Thanks to its geographical location, "Akademik Vernadskyi" conducts unique observations of the state of the ozone hole over Antarctica.
According to information: MES of Ukraine
