Five new islands have been discovered in the remote Arctic because of melting ice from glaciers, the Russian Navy has said.

They were found during a co-ordinated expedition of the Northern Fleet to the Franz Josef Land archipelago, scientists from the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) and the Russian Arctic National Park said.

Image: The news islands were found during an expedition to the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Pic: Russian Geographical Society

The yet to be named islands were located in Vise Bay on the Kara coast of the island of the Northern Archipelago of Novaya Zemlya - and range in size from 900 to 54,500 square metres (0.2 - 13.5 acres).

Image: The five islands were discovered on the North Island of Novaya Zemlya

The crew, travelling on a rescue towboat rather than an icebreaker, travelled more than 4,500 miles (7,242km) during the trip - which took place over 44 days between August and September, making it the longest Arctic expedition in 30 years.

Under the command of Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseev, the team chartered the islands and made more than 20 landings.


Image: The expedition was led by Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseev. Pic: Mil.ru

Drone footage from the RGO showed polar bears and groups of walrus inhabiting the area.

Image: Groups of walrus also live in the area

Image: Drone footage showed polar bears and groups of walrus inhabiting the land

Mr Moiseev suggested to state-run news agency Tass that temperature changes in the region were among the reasons the islands had been spotted.

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He said: "Basically, this (the emergence of new islands) is associated with the melting of ice.

"Previously it was glaciers, but the melting of ice led to the islands opening.

"Now it is expected that the findings will be recorded. Of course, each island will have its own name, but it must first be substantiated."

Image: Melting glaciers exposed the islands according to the Russian Navy. Pic: Russian Geological Society

Those involved in the expedition recreated the historical routes and followed in the footsteps of renowned researchers, including British explorer Frederick Jackson - who in 1897 walked along the island of Alexandra Land.

He was also hailed after stumbling across Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen and his companion and helping them return home after they were missing, presumed dead, for three years.

Mr Moiseev and his team also conducted unique and oceanological and hydrographic studies.

They included, for the first time in history, measuring along the entire length of the Northeast Vostochny and Neymera straits, as well as in the northern part of the Buta Strait between Greeley Island and Ugolnye Kopi Island, which the Russian Navy say gives an idea of ​​the distribution of depths and shipping opportunities there.

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According to a recent United Nations report on climate change, the Arctic is heating faster than the global average.

Between 2015-2019, Arctic glacier loss was measured to be higher than any other five-year period on record.

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