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Russian paratroopers landed near North Pole

Russian paratroopers landed near North Pole
Paratroopers ready to jump out in -60°C.

Russian paratroopers on Tuesday landed on a drifting ice floe near the North Pole.

Location

Nearly 100 paratroopers from Ivanovo and Pskov together with soldiers from Belarus and Tajikistan – members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, successfully landed at 89° north after jumping from Il-76 heavy transport planes in -60°C, the Ministry of Defense reports.

Also freight containers weighing 30-50 kilograms, which contain everything needed for survival in the Arctic, were dropped from the planes.

On the ice floe, the soldiers started establishing a camp and deploying communication equipment. At the camp, which is called “Kupol”, they will be conducting different drills on search and rescue operations connected to traffic along the Northern Sea Route and transpolar air flights.

The paratroopers used the “Arbalet-2” special-purpose parachute system. Watch video from the drop on TV Zvezda.

Russia conducted similar exercises near the North Pole in 2014. Then paratroopers used Russia’s seasonal Arctic station Barneo as base for survival training and training on rescue operations in Arctic conditions.