Meteorologist Anzhelika Hanchuk will be the leader of the 31st Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition to the Akademik Vernadsky Station in 2026-2027. This is the first time a woman will lead a year-long Ukrainian expedition to Antarctica. This was announced by the National Antarctic Science Center.
Anzhelika Hanchuk already has experience working at the Akademik Vernadsky Station: in 2022-2023, she participated in the 27th expedition as a meteorologist. Then she was engaged in meteorological, oceanographic, glaciological, and aerological research.
Director of the National Antarctic Science Center Yevhen Dykyi noted that during her work in Antarctica, Hanchuk proved herself not only as a strong specialist but also as a leader, able to organize the team’s work and take responsibility for complex decisions. That is why she was chosen as the expedition leader.
According to the center, since 2018, 13 women have worked on annual Antarctic expeditions organized by Ukraine, and another 11 have participated in seasonal missions.
Anzhelika Hanchuk was born in 1994. She graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a degree in meteorology and climatology, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors. Since 2016, she has worked as a weather forecaster at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center of the State Emergency Service, and also conducted weather forecasts on the Kyiv TV channel.
After returning from Antarctica, she headed the numerical modeling and forecasting sector at the Ukrhydrometcenter. Currently, she is engaged in implementing modern weather forecasting models, integrating satellite data, and adapting international methods to Ukrainian conditions.
