Yaya Island

Ka-27 helicopter crew sets a record landing on Yaya Island in Russian Arctic

In early March 2022, the crew of a Ka-27 helicopter landed on Yaya Island in the Laptev Sea for the first time in history. The helicopter, commanded by Captain Dmitry Nazarov, took off from the anti-submarine warship (ASW) Admiral Levchenko. The helicopter is part of an anti-submarine helicopter regiment in the Northern Fleet’s Air Force and Air Defense Army.

“In 2022, the helicopter took off from the anti-submarine warship Admiral Levchenko during a Northern Fleet mission. After landing on the island, the crew planted the Russian Federation flag,” the fleet’s press service said.

This achievement of the Russian Armed Forces was listed in the 2022 Guinness World Records, along with 32 other new records. The book now contains 447 records.

In 2014, researchers debarked from the Russian Navy’s Admiral Vladimirsky landing on the island for the first time. Members of the expedition mapped the vicinity and thus helped expand Russia’s territorial waters by over 450 square miles.  

The crews of Mil-26 helicopters discovered the island in 2013 while flying from Tiksi to Temp Airfield on Kotelny Island, part of the New Siberian Islands Archipelago.

While discussing the island’s name, both Mi-26 pilots started saying “Ya, Ya.” (Ya means I in Russian). So, it was decided to name the island Yaya.