Russian aviators rescued the British in Antarctica

The crew of the Il-76 completed a unique landing operation on the southern continent

Russian pilots in Antarctica on Il-76 aircraft completed the operation of landing fuel and cargo for the resuscitation of the mothballed British polar station Halley VI. On the details of this unique operation, which takes place at the request of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on the southernmost continent of the Earth, MK wrote on December 20, 2022 in material “London bowed to the Russian Federation to secure its station in Antarctica.”

At that time, Russian specialists carried out five of the seven scheduled sorties of the Il-76TD-90VD aircraft for the delivery of goods by parachute. And now, as Nikolai Talikov, chief designer of the S.V. Ilyushin Aviation Complex, who keeps in touch with the participants of the Antarctic expedition, told MK, the work has been fully completed.

Despite the tough political confrontation between Moscow and London, Russian experts responded to a request for help from British scientists. Our pilots and paratroopers, who have extensive experience in landing cargoes in various regions of the world, were well aware that, apart from Russia, no other country in the world is capable of carrying out the task of delivering and landing cargoes to the Brant Ice Shelf. Only Russia has trained professionals and the necessary aircraft for this.

Here is what the members of the Russian expedition to rescue the British Antarctic station Halley VI reported to Nikolai Talikov about their work: “The sixth reset was completed (the 2nd in the second series). Platform output is normal. Regular opening. Delivery 100%. Two platforms – gasoline. Three crates of fruit were moored to the petrol. We load at night and take off tomorrow morning. Everything is fine”.

And they sent such a message already at the end of all sorties: “Hurrah!!! We did it…7th reset done. …The program of seven resets has been completed successfully. Not a single barrel of 1400 pieces was lost. All 182 systems worked normally.

The Germans tracked every drop. They are in line for next season. The revision was made, the equipment was dismantled. Today we fly to Cape Town. Everyone is healthy. Everything is fine”.

– And you are not offended, – I ask the chief designer of the Aviation Complex named after S.V. Ilyushin, – the British give us a provocation with the Skripals, active assistance to Ukraine, all kinds of sanctions, and we give them our transport aircraft and the best specialists?

– No, – answers Nikolai Talikov, – Antarctica is the only continent on Earth where people still help each other. There are no sanctions or provocations. And if it’s hard for someone, they call for help from the best. That’s why they called us to help.