The legal bottom line for mining has been raised again. The Russian State Duma has recently been active, with lawmakers submitting a penalty proposal for illegal mining.

Specifically, this draft sets detailed fines for different entities: ordinary individuals caught mining illegally face fines of 100,000 to 150,000 rubles; public officials are fined between 300,000 and 800,000 rubles; legal entities face even heavier penalties, starting from 1 million to 2 million rubles. Importantly, repeat offenders will see their fines doubled.

The harsher measures are yet to come. The Ministry of Justice previously proposed that illegal mining could face fines of up to 1.5 million rubles or two years of forced labor. However, if the mining operation yields significant profits or is controlled by organized crime groups, the offense could escalate to a criminal crime—potentially resulting in up to five years in prison.

This reflects Russia's increasingly strict attitude toward the mining industry.