The Skiing to the North Pole Russian youth expedition has set out for the Arctic, from where the team will head to the northernmost point of the Earth, RIA Novosti reports, citing the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science.

"On April 19, the crew of the ninth Russian youth expedition Skiing to the North Pole set out for the Arctic. Young polar explorers, led by experienced traveler Matvei Shparo, flew to the Barneo drifting polar research station in the Arctic. The expedition will start off for the North Pole from here," the press report says.

The expedition is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science. In 2015, the polar trip was headed by minister Dmitry Livanov.

This year, the team is made up of young cadets — three girls and four boys aged 16-17 from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kirov, Kemerovo, Vologda, Chelyabinsk and Khabarovsk. They will have to cover over 100 km of the Arctic Ocean's drifting ice in seven days.

The ministry also noted that the travelers had to wait for a flight for more than a week, as the planned starting date was delayed due to bad weather.