China prepares to airlift Russian scientists (2 video)

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The helicopter on board the Chinese icebreaker "Xuelong" is ready to airlift Russian scientists and crew from the ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, trapped in ice off Antarctica.

The 22 crew and 52 scientists and tourists on board the ship welcomed the new year as they awaited rescue.

VIDEO. L'Akademik Shokalskiy toujours prisonnier des glaces. -Antarctic mission now pinning hopes on Australian icebreaker for rescue.

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Après l'échec du brise-glace chinois, "l'Astrolabe" français aussi a dû renoncer à lui porter secours. Le navire russe "Akademik Shokalskyi" est prisonnier de l'Antarctique depuis la veille de Noël. Mais l'ambiance à bord reste bon enfant...

Depuis le 24 décembre, le bâtiment russe est bloqué par les glaces et immobilisé par un blizzard violent à 200 kilomètres au large de la base française Dumont d'Urville (pôle sud, Antarctique). Un brise-glace chinois qui a voulu lui porter secours, le Snow Dragon, a dû abandonner, samedi 28 décembre pour ne pas se trouver dans la même situation.

Chinese icebreaker fails to free Russian research ship from ice captivity

ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Smirnov

SYDNEY, December 28 (Itar-Tass) - China’s icebreaker The Snow Dragon has failed to make its way towards the Russian research ship the Akademik Shokalsky, trapped in ice off Antarctica, the Russian ship’s captain, Igor Kiselyov, has told Itar-Tass by telephone.

“The Chinese icebreaker stopped about 6.7 miles away from us,” Captian Kiselyov said. “It failed to come anywhere nearer.

Now we shall be waiting for the arrival of the Australian icebreaker The Aurora Australis. It is far more powerful that The Snow Dragon. I do hope that it will manage to make its way towards us.”