International team of scientists, consisting of researchers from Russia, the USA and Japan, started an ambitious project - exploration of several deserted islands of the Kuril chain.
      
      Today the "Iskatel'-4" ship brought researchers to the Harimkotan island, where humans haven't been seen for many years. International scientific team also plans to visit following islands: Ekarma, Chirinkotan, Onekotan, Ushishir and Brouton, where traces of ancient settlements were discovered. Scientists tend to think that ancient people inhabited these islands in the first or second millennium AD.
      
      During this summer researchers will continue exploration of said islands within the Kuril International Biocomplex Project, started in 2006.
      
      Source: ITAR-TASS