The research/survey vessel Mikhail Somov has been refloated after it ran aground off the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

"Mikhail Somov refloated on its own tonight. It is afloat and on the move. Divers have begun a detailed examination of its hull," said Roman Yershov, head of the Northern Department of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring.

In late July the regional Emergencies Ministry branch reported that Mikhail Somov ran aground near the Franz Josef Land archipelago; there was no threat of a fuel spill and no casualties. The vessel left Arkhangelsk on July 4 carrying cargo for polar stations on the islands and in the waters of the White, Barents and Kara seas.

Earlier Yershov reported that the vessel was in technically sound condition, and the hull had been examined for possible damage. One of the possible solutions to the problem was self-refloating by regulating the ship's draft.