Spectacular rescue of a Russian by a Norwegian helicopter near

Spectacular rescue of a Russian by a Norwegian helicopter near the North Pole

A Russian aboard a research vessel trapped in Arctic ice near the North Pole was evacuated for medical reasons by a Norwegian helicopter during a spectacular operation, Norwegian rescue workers said on Wednesday.

The evacuation took place on Tuesday evening aboard the Russian ship Severny Polyus in 86°N waters over the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, some 240 nautical miles (444 km) from the Pole.

At the request of their Russian counterparts, Norwegian authorities launched a Super Puma helicopter from Longyearbyen, the Spitsbergen capital 500 nautical miles (925 km) away, to evacuate the Russian, whose health was deemed too critical to be treated on board the ship .

Spectacular rescue of a Russian by a Norwegian helicopter near the North Pole

Photo Sysselmesteren Svalbard / AFP

“It’s at the extreme limit of what the helicopter can do,” in terms of range, Rune Danielsen, spokesman for Norway’s rescue center in Bodø, told AFP.

“To get that far, the smallest detail counts: the weight, the wind…” he argued.

The operation was conducted in accordance with existing bilateral search and rescue agreements between Norway and Russia in the Arctic, despite the deterioration in relations between the two countries since the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

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According to the manufacturer Airbus Helicopters, the H215 Super Puma has a maximum range of 866 km without an additional external tank.

Spectacular rescue of a Russian by a Norwegian helicopter near the North Pole

Photo Sysselmesteren Svalbard / AFP

The Norwegian helicopter refueled one last time in northern Svalbard, where fuel is stored for conducting such extreme missions in the Arctic, and then received kerosene again aboard the Severny Polyus, an 83-meter-long ship stuck in the ice as part of a scientific expedition.

After arriving safely in Longyearbyen late at night around 2am (00am GMT), the Russian patient was evacuated aboard a medical plane. His current condition is unknown.