MOSCOW (AP) — It's been polar bears versus Russian scientists on a remote island in the Arctic.

A sleuth of seven bears had besieged five researchers at a Russian weather station over the past few days. Luckily for the scientists, a passing ship delivered flares and dogs to help ward off the beasts.

Vadim Plotnikov, chief of the station on Troynoy Island in the Kara Sea, says that the passing vessel also sent a helicopter Wednesday to chase away the bears, according to the Tass news agency.

The bears had grown increasingly aggressive in recent days, killing one of the station's two dogs and smashing windows of the station's depot. The desperate explorers had run out of flares and remained trapped inside.

Russia's natural resources minister ordered the ship to help the crew.