"In Russia's Bashkortostan, Fresh Tensions Grow Over Planned Copper Mining Site", 2 May 2025

Public discontent is brewing in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan over a government-backed plan to develop copper mining deposits in the Kyrktytau mountain range...

While politicians and loyal bloggers wage a campaign to promote the alleged benefits of copper mining for the regional economy, locals appear ready to risk repression and arrests to protect their scenic Indigenous lands from irreversible ecological damage...

Rich in copper deposits, the range has long been eyed for development by the Russian Copper Company (RCC). The mining giant is owned by Forbes-listed billionaire Igor Altushkin, who is under Western sanctions for aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine...

Environmental activist Eduard Kadyrov, who launched the petition that received over 7,000 signatures, had warned that mining works at Kyrkty tau could bring toxic waste to the Bolshoy Kizil and Maly Kizil rivers, which supply drinking water to the nearby town of Sibay and the industrial hub of Magnitogorsk. 

Kadyrov also warned that mining could pollute the nearby lake Yaktykul, one of the top tourist attractions in Bashkortostan and a designated natural monument...