The number of municipalities in the Komi Republic included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation could increase to six with the inclusion of Pechorsky and Izhemsky districts. TASS reports this, citing a statement from the head of the republic, Vladimir Uyba.

'We've recently discussed extending support to two additional territories beyond the existing four... Namely, Pechora and Izhma. The issue has been maturing for quite some time now, and I believe that since it's part of the draft mandate, these territories will be incorporated into the AZRF, given that other regions have already undergone this process,' he stated following the 'territorial subject hour' in the Federation Council.

As per the 2021 data from KomiStat, the Pechorsky district spans an area of 1,251 sq km and is inhabited by 18.4 thousand people. The Izhemsky district covers an area of 18.4 thousand sq km and houses a population of 17 thousand people.

The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation operates under a preferential regime with distinct tax and administrative regulations. Residents can use a free customs zone procedure on developed and equipped sites, import and use foreign goods without paying customs duties and VAT. Russian goods are placed and used subject to excise duties without paying export customs duties.