Russia will carry out annual Antarctic geological and geophysical research expeditions including study of global climate change, under a plan approved by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, RIA Novosti reported citing the government’s press service.

The plan, outlining the activities of the Russian Antarctic Expedition in 2013-2017, includes further drilling at Lake Vostok, buried two miles beneath the icy landmass, the mapping of the continent, and the extension of land support of Russia’s activities in space.

“Overall, the plan focuses on the expansion of Russia’s presence in Antarctica and the implementation of key projects outlined in the Russian Antarctic Strategy until 2020 and beyond,” the press service said in a statement.

The plan sets out the number of Russian personnel stationed at permanent stations and seasonal field bases, the fleet of support ships and aircraft, and the amount of fuel necessary to sustain the expanding operations on the continent.

Russia maintains five permanent polar stations in Antarctica and plans to allocate another 60 billion rubles ($2 bln) to implementing a wide range of new projects as part of its Antarctic Strategy until 2020.