‘Nothing is sacred for the authorities:' Russia is opening the forests around Lake Baikal to clearcutting. Environmentalists warn the damage could be irreversible.

In December, Russia’s State Duma passed a law allowing clear-cut logging in Lake Baikal’s Central Ecological Zone, a move swiftly approved by the Federation Council and signed by Vladimir Putin. Although the legislation — set to take effect on March 1, 2026 — permits such logging only under specific conditions, environmentalists and activists have no doubt that officials and businessmen with a stake in the region will have little trouble securing the necessary approvals. And they warn that the consequences for the lake and its unique flora and fauna could be irreversible.

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