Antarctica stabbing: what do we know?
Victim rushed to hospital in Chile after incident in research station 500 miles off coast
An employee at a remote Russian research station in Antarctica has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his colleague.
The man, named as Sergey Savitsky, is accused of attacking his colleague on 9 October in the Bellingshausen Station canteen, delivering “at least one blow to the body”, reports Russia's Interfax news agency. The victim, identified in the report by the initial “B”, was rushed to a hospital in Chile.
Both the accused and B had lived together in the station, located more than 500 miles off the southern coast of Argentina on the harbour of King George Island, for six months before the attack.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Savitsky had reportedly been suffering from mental health issues while on the station. According to HuffPost, the attack resulted from increased “tensions in a confined space”.
He was said to be flown to St Petersburg, Russia, where he was arrested at the airport. He surrendered voluntarily and has been placed under house arrest.
Bellingshausen Station was founded by the Soviet Union in 1968 and named after the 19th-century Russian Antartic explorer. It was used as a major fuel depot for the Soviet Antartic fishing fleet. Nowadays, it has a maximum capacity of 40 people and an average winter population of 13. King George Island is the largest of the South Shetland Islands.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How sexual harassment is rife in Antarctica
Under The Radar Women have been 'gaslit' over reports of abuse at 'the emptiest, windiest, highest, driest, coldest place on Earth'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What we know about the Copenhagen mall shooting
Speed Read Lone gunman had mental health issues and not thought to have terror motive, police say
By The Week Staff Published
-
Texas school shooting: parents turn anger on police
Speed Read Officers had to be urged to enter building where gunman killed 21 people
By The Week Staff Published
-
DJ Tim Westwood denies multiple sexual misconduct allegations
Speed Read At least seven women accuse the radio and TV presenter of predatory behaviour dating back three decades
By The Week Staff Published
-
What happened to Katie Kenyon?
Speed Read Man charged as police search for missing 33-year-old last seen getting into van
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Brooklyn subway shooting: exploring New York’s ‘steep decline in law and order’
Speed Read Last week, a gunman set off smoke bombs and opened fire on a rush-hour train in the city
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
How the Capitol attack investigation is splitting the Republicans
Speed Read Vote to censure two Republican representatives has revealed deep divisions within party
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is sentencing a Nazi sympathiser to read Shakespeare an appropriate punishment?
Speed Read Judge seemed to think introducing student ‘to high culture’ would ‘magically make him a better person’ said The Daily Telegraph
By The Week Staff Published