Russia will continue a search for missing crewmembers of the Kolskaya drilling rig which sank during a heavy storm in the Sea of Okhotsk in December last year.

The search operation, funded by the Norwegian and Russian seafarers unions and by the relatives of those missing, will start at the beginning of June.

Searches will be conducted near the southeastern coast of Sakhalin and the Kuril Ridge.

Two helicopters and a vessel will take part in the operation.

The sunken Kolskaya drilling rig had 67 people on board. 14 of them were rescued. 17 people were found dead.

IF