Tatarstan intensifies fight against "black" subsoil users
The Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan, together with the Environmental Prosecutor's Office and law enforcement agencies, intensified the fight against illegal mining in 2025. By the end of 2025, this work has brought concrete results aimed at preserving natural resources and budgetary resources.
According to Minister of Ecology Azat Ziganshin, 145 materials on violations in the field of subsoil use were sent to law enforcement agencies due to close interdepartmental cooperation. As a result of this work:
- 46 administrative cases have been filed for the amount of 4 million rubles.
- The estimated environmental damage amounted to 30 million rubles.
- 3 criminal cases have been initiated.
The most high-profile cases are related to illegal sand mining in the waters of the Kama River. Thus, the Construction and Transport Company + in the Nizhnekamsk region caused damage of 7 million rubles. The case is being considered in an arbitration court, and a criminal case has been opened against the head of the enterprise.
To increase transparency, the Nedra module was launched in 2025 as part of the unified digital platform of the Ministry of Ecology. Now all licensed subsurface users have personal accounts, which allows online monitoring of production and transportation volumes.
This is a modern tool that should displace the "gray" and "black" miners from the market.