Franz Josef Land: Russian researchers have discovered five previously unknown islands in the Arctic Ocean, revealed as a result of melting glaciers in the Franz Josef Land archipelago.
Earlier concealed by ice, the five islands have yet to be named.
The expedition was carried out by the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet together with the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Arctic National Park.
During a period of 44 days in August and September, members of the assignment chartered the islands and made more than 20 landings - making it the longest Arctic expedition in 30 years.
Drone footage from the Geographical Society showed polar bears and groups of walrus inhabiting the land.
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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