Missing climbers in Kyrgyzstan: Rescuers to use drone in search operation

The search for three missing climbers in Kyrgyzstan has entered its second week, with rescuers deploying a professional drone to aid in the operation. A team equipped with the drone, along with a generator, fuel, batteries, and food, traveled to the Sary-Tash region to support the climbers who had reached the base camp. The drone's flight altitude restriction has been lifted, allowing it to operate at higher elevations crucial for surveying the challenging terrain.

Despite the technological assistance, adverse weather conditions remain a significant obstacle. Heavy snowfall and poor visibility have repeatedly interrupted the search, limiting drone operations to brief windows between storms. Footage captured by the drone will be transmitted via satellite for detailed analysis at the search headquarters, ensuring that valuable data is not lost on the controller's screen.

The missing climbers are Belarusian citizens Maxim Polyansky, 43, and Nikolai Sviridov, 60, along with Sergei Rubtsov, 37, from Lithuania. They successfully summited Kurumdy Peak, a challenging mountain on the border of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and China, on August 2. The group was scheduled to begin their descent on August 4 but failed to make contact at the agreed-upon time, prompting the Ministry of Emergency Situations and volunteers to launch a search operation.

Kurumdy Peak, standing at 6,096 meters, is known for its narrow ridges, sharp rocky peaks, and glaciers. Climbing it is considered an extremely difficult mountaineering route. The first confirmed ascent was made by a Kyrgyz team in 2001. The ongoing search is hampered not only by the weather but also by the loss of valuable time since the climbers were last expected to check in.