Russia is preparing to reassert itself in the global tungsten market at a time when supply chains are strained and geopolitical competition over critical resources is intensifying. Tungsten, a metal prized for its strength and resistance to heat, has become indispensable for defense, aerospace, carbide tooling, and high‑tech industries. Demand has surged in recent years, yet the market remains dominated by China, which controls nearly 80 percent of global production. When Beijing imposed export restrictions, supplies dropped by a quarter and prices skyrocketed, leaving the rest of the world scrambling for alternatives.

Russia holds one of the largest tungsten reserves on the planet, with estimates ranging from 400,000 tons to as much as one million tons of tungsten trioxide. Despite this abundance, output has been minimal, only about two thousand tons last year compared to China’s sixty‑seven thousand. The disparity reflects the challenges of extracting ore from remote Siberian and Far Eastern deposits, where infrastructure is sparse and mineral composition is complex. Processing requires costly, multi‑stage enrichment schemes, and decades of underinvestment have left equipment outdated and facilities idle.

The Tyrnyauz deposit in Kabardino‑Balkaria illustrates both the obstacles and the opportunities. Once a flagship of the Soviet tungsten industry, it languished for decades because low prices made development unprofitable. Now, with global shortages driving prices up by more than 600 percent, the economics have shifted. Plans are underway to restart production of tungsten and molybdenum there by 2028, with projections that Russia could reach eighteen thousand tons of tungsten oxide annually by 2030. Other sites in Buryatia and the North Caucasus are being reassessed, supported by federal programs aimed at resource sovereignty and corporate interest.

International competitors are also moving to secure their own supplies. Britain has invested tens of millions of pounds to revive its Hemerdon project, the United States has restricted exports of tungsten scrap to conserve domestic feedstock, and the European Union has classified tungsten as a strategic raw material with a goal of reducing dependence on external suppliers by 2030. The race for tungsten reflects a broader trend in resource nationalism, where nations seek to lock down critical inputs for defense and industry.

Russia’s strategy is not without hurdles. Experts point to long investment cycles, high capital costs, technological limitations, and environmental obligations. Sanctions and payment risks add further uncertainty. Yet what was once considered a losing proposition now appears viable, driven by soaring prices and geopolitical urgency. Exploration in Buryatia’s Jidinsky area, part of the federal program “Geology: revival of a legend,” may reveal new commercially significant deposits, underscoring the potential for Russia to reshape its role in the tungsten market.

The question now is whether Russia can overcome logistical, financial, and technological barriers quickly enough to capitalize on this moment, and in doing so, alter the balance of power in the global supply of critical minerals. Could tungsten become the next lever of influence in the shifting landscape of resource geopolitics?