An expedition to Bely Island in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area will set up stationary facilities for the summer field season and collect snow samples to study precipitation patterns, reads a statement on the area government's website.

"The expedition has several goals. The expedition members will collect the scrap metal that remained on the island since last year's field season for delivery to the mainland. Ivan Semenyuk from the Arctic Research Center's sector of environmental and biological studies will collect snow samples every 70 kilometers along the expedition's route for the study of precipitation patterns," said Alexei Titovsky, Director of the Yamal-Nenets Department of Science and Innovation.

The expedition will deliver 25 tons of cargo to Bely Island, including fuel, foodstuffs and construction materials, to prepare the island facilities for the work of researchers and volunteers during the field season this summer.

The expedition will also bring a wind turbine with two additional solar batteries for the research facility on the island. Andrei Baryshnikov, Director of the Russian Arctic Development Center and head of the expedition, said that wind turbines are an alternative source of power that will seriously reduce fuel expenses on the island and will eventually generate enough electricity for the year-round operation of the research facility there. At present, researchers only come to the island in summer.

The expedition will work on Bely Island until April.