The message reads, in part:
“Your close-knit team will be the first to ever take part in an autonomous automobile expedition across the vast ice-clad expanses, testing the reliability of the Russian-made all-terrain vehicles in extreme weather conditions.
Your expedition will also greatly contribute to preserving the memory of the heroic trailblazers who fearlessly mapped out land, sea and air routes in the Arctic and the Antarctica and whose courage and selflessness have won Russia the reputation of a great polar power.
I am convinced that your initiative has tremendous potential when it comes to the further development of the Antarctica and increasing Russian presence in this strategically important part of the world.”