According to foreign media news on 12 December, the United States imposed sanctions on Russian mining giant Vladislav Sviblov (Vladislav Sviblov), as well as several mining companies related to him, one of which is developing one of the world's largest zinc mines.

The sanctions are the latest move to target Russia's metals and mining sector, following the sanctions imposed on Sviblov by the UK last month. Sviblov has become a major player in Russia's metals sector in recent years, acquiring several mid-sized gold companies and building a zinc mine in Ozernoye, Siberia, that was planned to be one of the world's largest.

Russia's gold industry has been largely isolated from the West since the Group of Seven (g7) imposed an import ban last year. However, according to Bloomberg (Bloomberg) reported last October, the Ozernoye mine has attracted the attention of traders including Trafigura Group and Open Mineral, which has been bidding to win a long-term contract to buy its zinc mine.

Aleksey Chekunkov, Russia's Far East and Arctic minister, said during a visit to the project last year that if it operated at full capacity, it would be one of the world's largest zinc mines, producing 4 per cent of global output. However, a fire broke out last month and could delay the start of production until 2024.

[Source - CKN].