Ladoga seal activities. The Ladoga seal is listed as an Appendix II species under the Bern Convention and also included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation. Ladoga seal The Ladoga ringed seal (; Pusa hispida ladogensis), is a freshwater subspecies of the ringed seal ("Pusa hispida") which are found entirely in Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. The subspecies evolved during the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago. As the glaciers retreated and water levels changed, the Baltic ringed seal (including Ladoga seals) was trapped in freshwater lakes and separated from the Arctic ringed seal. It is related to
Finnish reconquest of Ladoga Karelia (1941) had already reached the shore of lake Ladoga at Lahdenpohja and cut the Soviet divisions north-west of lake Ladoga from their intended withdrawal routes. Near Sortavala the attacking Finnish forces of 2nd, 7th and 19th division were reorganized into the I Army Corps and the town fell to the Finnish forces on August 15. The defending Soviet forces of the 168th Rifle Division withdrew along the coast but were encircled. The Soviets managed to evacuate most of the manpower on barges over the lake Ladoga. Finns captured large amounts of war material that the Soviets had not been able to