In the Indigenous territory of Khakassia in southern Siberia, vast deposits of thermal coal are being extracted at the expense of local communities and the environment. Mining operations are destroying landscapes, polluting water bodies and filling the air with toxic dust. The largest mine, Arshanovsky, also represents a major climate risk, with the potential to lock in significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Following the money and the movement of coal, the investigation uncovered links between the mine and a Sri Lankan power plant, an Emirati commodity trader, a holding company in Luxembourg, real estate in the Czech Republic, Greek vessel owners, British insurance companies and Russia's State Duma. Together, these connections reveal the wider network of commercial and political interests surrounding the mine.
The investigation combined interviews with analysis of trade data, corporate ownership structures, satellite imagery and planning applications. The non-profits C4ADS and CREA supported the analytical work.
Photo Caption: View of the Khakassian Steppe, with Arshanovsky's tailing piles in the distance.
This investigation was undertaken by journalists whose identities are known to Journalismfund Europe and their respective editorial teams. For security reasons, they remain anonymous. The editorial teams and publishers bear full editorial and legal responsibility for this publication.
