Russia's key mineral reserves dwindling, urgent new searches needed

Minister of Natural Resources of Russia Aleksandr Kozlov warns that large and easily accessible deposits in Russia are running out. It concerns key minerals such as uranium, chromium, manganese, titanium, fluorite, tungsten, and aluminum. Their deposits are projected to last for only 5 to 15 years.

During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Minister Aleksandr Kozlov warned that the resources of key minerals, such as uranium, chromium, manganese, titanium, fluorite, tungsten, and aluminum in the current mining areas, may only last for the next 5 to 15 years, reports "The Moscow Times."

Most of the current exploitations date back to the Soviet Union era.

He emphasized that the lack of new geological surveys could significantly decline extraction across the country.

Minister Kozlov argued that Russian geologists must explore remote areas of the Arctic and hard-to-reach regions of the Far East and Siberia to ensure Russia's continued access to key deposits.

He stressed that only a tiny part of these areas (35 percent of the Far East and 45 percent of Siberia) has been explored so far. He highlighted that these territories have potential for future mining explorations.

Environmental protection experts have expressed concern that future searches for mineral resources in ecologically sensitive areas, such as the Russian Arctic, may proceed without adequate environmental safeguards, according to "The Moscow Times."

They believe the lack of appropriate precautions could lead to severe ecological damage.