The North Pole 2015 drifting station has been evacuated, expedition head Alexander Orlov reported to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi.

The evacuation was coordinated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring.

According to Mr. Orlov, research and household equipment was removed on August 10-11 by the North Pole 2015 staff and the crew of the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker. The seasonal research station officially closed on August 9.

During the planned evacuation, the Kapitan Dranitsyn took aboard several dozen metric tons of high-technology research equipment, heavy machinery (tractors, snowmobiles, etc.) waste accumulated during the drift and the mobile accommodation of the expedition members.

"Thus, as it was planned, the floe got in proper environmental shape during the evacuation," Mr. Donskoi said after talking to the expedition head.

The Kapitan Dranitsyn is expected to arrive in Murmansk with the expedition members in a few days. Mr. Donskoi will take part in festivities devoted to their return.

The North Pole 2015 seasonal drifting station opened on April 18, 2015. The Natural Resources Ministry is the state customer and coordinator of the Environment Conservation state program, which includes the project for setting up and operating the North Pole 2015 station.

During operation of the station, a wide range of meteorological, aerological, oceanographic and glaciological observations were carried out and hydrochemical, hydrobiological and magnetometric studies were conducted.