Russia: The Triangle of Extraction in the Kola Peninsula

Oct 1, 2024 | Mirkka Ollila, Arctic Institute
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As of September 2024, it has been two years and seven months since Russia escalated its aggression in Ukraine into a full-scale invasion. In Finland, much of the attention has naturally been focused on the situation in Ukraine and the potential threat Russia poses to Finland now and in the future. Despite this focus being understandable and necessary, the lived reality outside Moscow, the center of power in Russia, remains often overlooked. The war’s impact within Russia can be observed, for example, in the disproportionately high casualties among Indigenous peoples and non-Slavic minorities, increased harassment of Indigenous activists, and the loosening of environmental regulations on extractive projects in the Arctic as a part of efforts to revive the economy. While all these issues are significant and deserve a closer look, this article will focus on the latter.