manganese for Putin’s war machine travels through Ventspils and Riga

Manganese consumption in Russia is almost entirely dependent on exports. Although Russia itself has some reserves of manganese, it is not mined at a significant level in Russia. According to preliminary data, in 2023 Russia imported a record amount of manganese ore – more than two million tons, which is used, for example, in armored vehicles, weapon systems and other armaments. The increase in demand is obviously related to Russia’s needs in the war, according to Estonian security and economic expert Raivo Vāre.

Another expert who advised “Postimees” stated that such a large volume of manganese ore supplies is related to the fact that Russia has actually taken Ukraine’s place in the market of various iron alloys, as factories such as Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia have come under Russian control, but they have stopped working. Manganese is very necessary for Russia’s war industry, and it also makes it possible to increase the role of this metal ore in the economy. Interestingly, in 2023, Russia was the main country from which Estonia imported iron alloys (worth EUR 11.2 million).

Of the two million tons of manganese ore exported to Russia last year, 90% of cargo was transported through Latvian and Estonian ports.