The Wrangel Island is not permanently populated, and the temporary population are meteorologists, staff of the nature reserve and the military

The ecology platoon collected on the Wrangel Island in the Arctic more than 450 tonnes of waste; the cleanup mission began in August and continued until the ice had formed there, the Pacific Fleet’s press service reported on Thursday.

"The ecology unit of the forces in Russia’s north-east has collected more than 450 tonnes of waste in the cleanup mission on the Wrangel Island in the Arctic," the press service said. "In compliance with an order from the Russian Federation’s Defense Ministry, such works continue on the Wrangel Island for a few years already. This year, the expedition began in August and was finished due to the formed snow and ice covers."

The waste was uploaded onto a special vessel for transportation to processing facilities. The ecology mission featured more than 50 servicemen and about ten items of special equipment and vehicles, including a bulldozer, modern cranes with lifting capacities of 25 and 40 tonnes, KAMAZ-based scrap metal trucks with manipulator cranes, dump trucks, tracked conveyors, a tanker and bagging presses.

"The expedition continued in complicated weather and navigation conditions, the personnel have met the assigned task in the Arctic latitudes," the press service added.

In 2020, the Eastern Military District’s ecologists collected on the Wrangel Island and prepared for transportation to the mainland about 150 tonnes of scrap metal. They worked near Somnitelnaya Bay (the Zvezdny airfield). More than 45 servicemen used about ten items of special equipment and vehicles.

The Wrangel Island is not permanently populated, and the temporary population are meteorologists, staff of the nature reserve and the military. The Eastern Military District’s ecology unit cleans the Wrangel Island, which is a part of the nature reserve, from waste and metal barrels, which remain there after work of the military, polar stations and research bases.

Source: TASS