Ukrainian scientists on Antarctic expedition stuck in Chile as war rages back home

A 26-member crew on a Ukrainian scientific mission in Antarctica has been waiting in the Chilean southern port of Punta Arenas amid concerns about returning home during the Russian invasion of their country. The team’s vessel left the Akademik Vernadsky polar station, Ukraine’s only research base in Antarctica, on their way to the Chilean port stopover on March 14, 2022. The scientists are anxiously following news about friends and family back home as they remain in Chile or Argentina for the time being.