Technical and political hurdles have slowed Russia’s efforts to dismantle dozens of decommissioned submarines before they fall apart or their nuclear fuel is stolen.

The biggest ever study of Arctic pollutants paints a picture of an ecosystem under siege—with potentially grave consequences for denizens of Earth’s northernmost reaches.

Russia’s zapovedniks are some of the world’s most pristine wildernesses. For 70 years they were protected ruthlessly by the Soviet system, but recently they have fallen prey to Putin, the World Bank, …