According to the report of the press service of Russia's Defense Ministry, a reconnaissance group of Airborne Forces flew from Olenegorsk (Murmansk Oblast) to the Russian drifting polar station Barneo to study one of the drifting ice floes.

      "Militaries together with explorers specified the condition of one of the largest ice floes drifting in the Arctic Ocean, and also performed prerequisite analyzes of temperature and atmosphere, samples of water and ice," the press service of the Ministry said.

      Airborne experts examined floe surface, condition and sizes of the cracks, paying high attention to the presence of ice-holes formed on a drifting ice floe. The main purpose of reconnaissance is validation of the drifting ice floes for landing cargo in the Arctic in order to conduct experimental search and rescue operation.