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Climate

Is Russia Running Out of Time to Save the Caspian Seal From Extinction?

If authorities fail to take decisive action to protect the seals, scientists estimate that the species could go extinct within two decades.
opinion Zaur Shiriyev

Russia’s War in Ukraine Is Aggravating the Caspian Sea Environmental Crisis

Russia’s use of the Caspian Sea for military purposes and its reduction of water flow from the Volga are damaging the sea’s already fragile ecosystem...
5 Min read

Raging Wildfires Devastate Russia’s Far East Sakha Republic

At least 2 million hectares of forest have been destroyed in Sakha this summer — and local residents are lamenting the authorities’ lax response.
3 Min read

Moscow Region Officials Warn of Invasive Species Due to Hot Weather

Scientists have warned climate change will lead to insects from warmer environments living further north and breeding more frequently.
1 Min read

In Photos: Muscovites Swelter in Record-Breaking Heat

Temperatures in Russia’s capital hit an all-time high of 32 degrees Celsius on Tuesday – Moscow’s hottest day in over 130 years.
1 Min read

Summer Heatwave Sweeps Russia, Breaking Dozens of Temperature Records

The unprecedented temperatures have engulfed Russia from its central regions to the Far East, reaching a maximum of 38.7 degrees Celsius in Siberia’s...
1 Min read

Are Moscow’s Summertime Floods and Tornadoes Tied to Climate Change?

As climate change progresses, fears grow over the rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events — and their impact on cities like Moscow.
4 Min read

Far East Russia’s Sakha Declares Wildfire Emergency

Wildfires in the region have so far engulfed a total area of around 830 square kilometers — roughly the size of Berlin or New York.
2 Min read
Feature

Russia Says Its Forests Can Absorb Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Climate Change and Poor Forestry Standards Make This Unlikely.

While officials boast that Russia's vast forests can help it achieve its climate goals, experts say this won't be possible without major change.
5 Min read

Flooding Emergency Declared in Far East Russia’s Sakha

Nearly 450 homes and more than 550 land plots have been flooded since the Lena River started overflowing last week.
1 Min read
Feature

Russia's Epic Floods Expose Lack of Preparedness for Climate Crisis

Without the resources or political will to pursue a policy of climate adaptation, experts warn that this spring's disaster will become the new norm.
7 Min read

What's Causing Russia's Record Floods?

Above-average snowfall followed by a rapid spring thaw, a warmer planet and human influences have all played a role in the current crisis.
3 Min read

Kamchatka's Glaciers Have Shrunk by 36% Since 1950 – Russian Scientists

The rate of retreat of the ice caps in the northern Sredinny Range from 2002 to 2017 was 4.3 times higher than from 1950 to 2002.
1 Min read
Feature

'Dirty as Hell': Coal Dust Chokes Murmansk as Moscow Ramps Up Asia Exports

As the dust fuels public grievances and concerns for human health, the Murmansk Commercial Seaport is busy expanding its operations.
6 Min read

More Evacuations in Russia’s Urals, Western Siberia as Water Levels Rise

Authorities in the Kurgan and Tyumen regions have urged residents to flee as the nearby Tobol and Ishim rivers swell to dangerous levels.
2 Min read

Partial Dam Collapse in Siberia’s Tomsk Region as River Swells

The Tom River could reach a dangerous height of 8.9 meters between Monday and Wednesday, regional authorities said.
2 Min read

Russia’s Orenburg Orders Mass Evacuation as City Braces for Flood Peak

The Ural River, the third-longest in Europe, reached 11.29 meters in the city of Orenburg, two meters above its 'critical' level.
2 Min read

Orenburg Mayor Urges Evacuations as Ural River Nears ‘Critical’ Levels

Russia’s Orenburg region has been grappling with its worst flooding in decades after a dam burst last week near the city of Orsk.
2 Min read
Feature

'Devastating to See': Russia’s Orenburg Region Battles Historic Flood

Experts say the floods, which have caught the authorities off-guard and left many to fend for themselves, are just a preview of what is yet to come.
7 Min read
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