Russian security forces conducted searches at the offices and facilities of Yuzhnouralzoloto, the nation’s third-largest gold producer, in connection with a continuing investigation into environmental infractions and workplace safety issues, as reported by the state-owned TASS news agency on Wednesday.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) officers searched the company’s headquarters in the Chelyabinsk region, its central mining site, and other associated locations, according to TASS.
An FSB spokesperson revealed that the agents “found breaches of environmental protection laws and industrial safety regulations.”
Additionally, investigators noted the operation of industrial sites in the Plastovsky and Yetkulsky districts that were linked to pollution in designated water protection areas and contributed to a decline in environmental quality.
Yuzhnouralzoloto, which operates in the Chelyabinsk and Krasnoyarsk regions, along with Khakassia, has previously appealed against a fine from the Federal Service for Environmental Supervision (Rostechnadzor) concerning safety violations, according to the FSB source quoted by TASS.
In 2024, the company produced 10.6 tons of gold and recorded revenues of 25 billion rubles ($320 million), but also experienced a net loss of 7.2 billion rubles ($90 million).
As reported by the RBC news website, FSB agents also searched the office of Konstantin Strukov, the billionaire owner and president of the company.
Yuzhnouralzoloto has not issued any public statements regarding the raids.
A law enforcement source informed the Kommersant business daily that the company has been connected to six fatal workplace incidents in recent years, indicating a “careless attitude” towards industrial safety.
One of the most serious environmental incidents involving the company occurred in April 2024, when a dam at a technical reservoir in the Svetlinsky deposit failed.
This collapse released industrial waste containing arsenic into the Baturovka and Sanarka rivers, impacting roughly 3.5 million square feet of farmland.
The Chelyabinsk regional prosecutor’s office estimated the damage to be around 3 billion rubles ($38 million) and has filed a lawsuit against the company to recover these costs.
Regulatory authorities later determined that the dam was constructed in violation of safety regulations and was operating without the necessary permits.
In addition to the FSB investigation, the Plastovsky city court is currently reviewing seven lawsuits submitted by the environmental prosecutor’s office against the company. Two of these cases have been partially settled, with the company agreeing to pay 113 million rubles ($1.5 million) in damages. The total compensation sought in all cases surpasses 654 million rubles ($8 million).
Last year, Rostechnadzor suspended operations at four of the company’s main mines for three months due to “systematic industrial safety violations.”
