Widespread Pipeline Deterioration: More than half of Russia’s 250,000 km oil pipeline network is worn out and either leaking or at high risk of leaking; in 2023 alone there were 14,716 ruptures, and for some companies the share of compromised pipelines reaches 80%.

Arctic Expansion Raises Risks: Rosneft is building a new ~9,000 km network in the Russian Far North to boost Arctic oil production (from 19% to a planned 26% of national output), but the project faces delays, cost overruns, and heightened dangers from melting permafrost and inadequate environmental safeguards.

Climate Change and Weak Enforcement Compound Threats: Warming reduces the effectiveness of engineering solutions such as thermosyphons, while low fines make it cheaper for companies to pay penalties than to prevent spills, increasing the likelihood of environmental damage to fragile Arctic ecosystems.

More than half of Russia’s network of 250,000 km of oil pipelines are worn out and have leaked or are at risk of leaking significant amounts of oil into the environment, according to Raya Levashova. In the case of some Russian companies, those with pipelines leaking or threatening to leak is as high as 80........

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