On June 3, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a state of emergency after 20,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled into a riven within the Arctic Circle. The spill occurred on May 29 when a fuel reservoir collapsed at a power plant near the Siberian city of Norilsk. The fuel then leaked into the Ambarnaya river. The plant is owned by NTEK, a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, which is the world's leading nickel and palladium producer.
President Putin heavily criticized the head of NTEK for allegedly failing to quickly report the incident. Furthermore, the Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case over the pollution and alleged negligence. President Putin said the national emergency was needed to summon additional resources needed to clean up the spill.
It is believed that the spill was caused by the melting of arctic permafrost resulting from abnormally warm weather.
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