Yevhen Dykyi, Director of the National Antarctic Science Center (NASC), spoke about the challenges of maintaining the Ukrainian station in Antarctica during the war and the importance of continuing scientific research.
The Ukrainian Antarctic station «Akademik Vernadsky» continues to operate even in the face of a full-scale Russian invasion. Yevhen Dykyi said dev.ua about the peculiarities of the station’s functioning, scientific research and the geopolitical aspect of Ukraine’s presence in Antarctica.
«Suspending our research during the war would mean “zeroing out” 30 years of Ukraine’s previous investments. In this sense, we are really a critical infrastructure,» emphasizes Dykyi, explaining the importance of continuing the station’s operation even in difficult conditions.
The «Akademik Vernadsky» station is a key facility for Ukrainian Antarctic research. Every year, an expedition of 12-14 specialists, including both scientists and station life support specialists, goes there.
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«Our model of work is hybrid. We conduct our own research and provide work opportunities for scientists from other Ukrainian institutions», — explains Dykyi.
In 2023, NANC’s funding amounted to approximately $13 million, which allows it to maintain the station’s operation and conduct research. These funds also cover the costs of operating the icebreaker «Noosphere», which provides logistical support for expeditions.
One of the important areas of research is the study of the penguin population. «We spend only $4,000 a year on penguin research, but this research is very important,» says Dykyi.
Scientists use surveillance cameras to count the number of penguins, their eggs and chicks. This data helps to assess the state of Antarctic krill stocks, the main source of penguin food.
Ukrainian researchers also record rapid climate change in the region.
«Over the quarter of a century that the station has been owned by Ukraine, the average annual temperature in the region has increased by 4 degrees», — emphasizes Dykyi.
Ukraine’s presence in Antarctica also has a geopolitical aspect. Russia has 12 stations on the continent, although only half of them are operational.
«For the Russians, Antarctica — is purely geopolitics, and science exists to cover it up», — notes Dykyi. He adds: «Russians have installed GLONASS communication stations in Antarctica. Formally, this is a civilian facility. But we know that they use GLONASS, among other things, to guide missiles. Therefore, unfortunately, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Russians are even using Antarctica to bring their missiles to Okhmatdyt».
Despite the challenges of war, Ukrainian polar explorers continue their important work. Some of them, after returning from the expedition, go to the front to defend Ukraine. «We call them “fighting penguins” and support them in every way possible,» adds the Director of the National Academy of Sciences.
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