Mining by country/Europe

Mining in Russia

Russia is the world's largest mine producer of platinum group metals. It is in the world top three for antimony (#2), potash (#2), vanadium (#2), gold (#2). The story below follows its minerals from the ground to the economy, the export ports and the mines.

44%of the world's platinum group metals, 2025
11minerals where it is a top-3 producer
2.1%of GDP from mineral rents, 2021
7.4%of exports are ores and metals, 2021

01 · What it digs

Share of the world's output

Russia mined 44% of the world's platinum group metals in 2025, ranking #1. Across the 34 minerals we track it holds a share of at least 0.5% in 24.

  1. Platinum group metals44%#1
  2. Antimony29%#2
  3. Potash20%#2
  4. Vanadium19%#2
  5. Gold9.4%#2
  6. Silicon8.4%#2
  7. Lead5.8%#5
  8. Copper5.7%#5
  9. Phosphate rock5.6%#4
  10. Magnesium5.5%#2

USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, mine stage, latest year per mineral. Columns on the globe: every producer of platinum group metals.

02 · Mining in the economy

What the ground is worth

Mineral rents came to 2.1% of Russia's GDP in 2021, higher than 83% of the countries the World Bank reports; ores and metals made up 7.4% of its merchandise exports in 2021. GDP was $2,561bn in 2025.

World Bank WDI: mineral rents (NY.GDP.MINR.RT.ZS) and ores and metals exports (TX.VAL.MMTL.ZS.UN). The globe shades every country by mineral rents.

03 · Six years of output

How production moved

Mine production, platinum group metals, antimony, potash, vanadium, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 to 2026 (each year as last reported).

04 · Where it goes

Follow the exports

Its largest mineral export line in the trade data is aluminium and bauxite: $4.6bn in 2024, led by China ($3.5bn), South Korea ($0.6bn), Turkey ($0.5bn).

CEPII BACI bilateral trade, by value; arcs run from Russia to the buyer.

05 · Jurisdiction

How it governs

The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators put Russia at -1.27 on rule of law in 2025, higher than 10% of countries. These are perception-based estimates on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5; they describe the operating environment, not any company.

  • Rule of law-1.27above 10% of countries
  • Political stability-0.94above 14% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-1.20above 11% of countries
  • Control of corruption-0.98above 19% of countries

World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. The globe shades every country by rule of law.

06 · Mines and projects

Where the work is

35 mines in Russia have output figures in open mine databases; the largest by reported output are below. Listed companies hold 5 projects here, shown as dots.

The stats board and every project
Mining by country

The stats board

What Russia mines: platinum group metals (44% of world output, #1), antimony (29% of world output, #2), potash (20% of world output, #2), vanadium (19% of world output, #2). Mineral rents are 2.1% of GDP. Below: 5 projects held by listed companies and 35 mines from open mine databases.

Mineral rents2.1%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 83% of countries.
Ores and metals7.4%of merchandise exports, 2021.
Biggest world rolePlatinum group metals44% of world mine output, #1, 2025.
World top-3 producer of11minerals we track, largest producer of 1.
On our globe405 projects held by listed companies and 35 mines with open output data.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law-1.27above 10% of countries
  • Political stability-0.94above 14% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-1.20above 11% of countries
  • Control of corruption-0.98above 19% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Russia in numbers: the infographic

Share of world mine production

MineralWorld shareWorld rankYear
Platinum group metals44%12025
Antimony29%22025
Potash20%22025
Vanadium19%22025
Gold9.4%22025
Silicon8.4%22025
Lead5.8%52025
Copper5.7%52025
Phosphate rock5.6%42025
Magnesium5.5%22025
Nickel5.1%32025
Silver4.6%72025
Germanium3.6%22021
Zinc3.3%82025
Iron ore3.1%62025
Cobalt2.5%32025
Tungsten2.4%52025
Tin1.6%122025
Graphite (natural)1.4%62025
Aluminium and bauxite1.3%82025
Tantalum1.2%82025
Rare earths0.7%82025
Gallium0.7%22025
Molybdenum0.5%122025

Projects held by listed companies

ProjectCompanyMineralsStage
West Kytlim alluvial PGM and gold mine (Kluchiki, Bolshaya Sosnovka, Malaya Sosnovka)Eurasia MiningGold, Platinum group metalsProducing
Monchetundra PGM-Ni-Cu project (Loipishnune and West Nittis open pits)Eurasia MiningCopper, Gold, Nickel, Platinum group metalsDevelopment
Nittis-Kumuzhya-Travyanaya (NKT) Ni-Cu-PGM ex-operating mineEurasia MiningCopper, Gold, Nickel, Platinum group metalsExploration
Nyud Ni-Cu-PGM brownfield project (Rosgeo agreement entitlement)Eurasia MiningCopper, Nickel, Platinum group metalsExploration
Tipil licence and West Kytlim Flanks (PGM exploration)Eurasia MiningGold, Platinum group metalsExploration

Mines

MineMineralsOperatorLatest published output
BuruktalNickel10,728 t (2012)
Bystrinsky GOKCopper, Gold, Iron ore43,489 t (2019)
DvoinoyeGoldKinross Gold
EVRAZ VGOKIron ore4,600,000 t (2012)
EvrazrudaIron ore3,151,800 t (2013)
Evrazruda - KazskayaIron ore
Evrazruda - TashtagolIron ore
JuliettaGoldKinross Gold
KMArudaIron ore5,100,000 t (2017)
Kachkanar GOKIron ore57,900,000 t (2019)
Karelsky OkatyshIron orePAO Severstal
KorshunovIron ore1,862,000 t (2020)
Korshunov - KorshunovskyIron ore
Korshunov - RudnogorskyIron ore
Kovdorskiy GOKIron ore, Phosphate rock
KupolGold, SilverKinross Gold14 t (2018)
Kyzyl-Tash TurkZinc, Lead, Copper99,918 t (2018)
Lebedinsky GOKIron ore
Maly KuybasIron ore2,893,000 t (2020)
Mikhailovsky GOKIron oreMetalloinvest11,077,440 t (2019)
Norilsk-Taimyr (Nornickel)Nickel, Copper, Platinum group metals, CobaltNornickel198,799 t (2019)
Nornickel Kola PeninsulaNickel, Copper, Platinum group metals26,820 t (2019)
Nornickel Kola Peninsula - Kaula-KotselvaaraNickel
Nornickel Kola Peninsula - SevernyNickel
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - KomsomolskyNickel, Copper
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - MayakNickel, Copper
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - OktyabrskyNickel, Copper
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - SkalistyNickel, Copper
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - TaimyrskyNickel, Copper
Nornickel Taimyr Peninsula - ZapolyarnyNickel, Copper
North UralsAluminium and bauxite2,353,000 t (2019)
OlconIron orePAO Severstal
StoilenskyIron ore7,248,500 t (2009)
TimanAluminium and bauxite3,221,000 t (2019)
YakovlevskiyIron orePAO Severstal

By mineral

Aluminium and bauxite minesAntimony minesCobalt minesCopper minesGallium minesGermanium minesGold minesGraphite (natural) minesIron ore minesLead minesMolybdenum minesNickel minesPlatinum group metals minesPhosphate rock minesPotash minesRare earths minesSilver minesTantalum minesTin minesTungsten minesVanadium minesZinc mines

World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.