How does the Pechora River drain the western slopes of the northern Urals?

The Pechora River drains the western slopes of the Polar, Nether-Polar, and Northern Urals. Rising near Mount Koyp in the northern Urals, the river initially flows south through a narrow, deep valley before turning west and north across an extensive basin to empty into the Barents Sea.12

Its drainage process is supported by several significant tributaries, including the Ilych, Shchugor, and Usa rivers. The western slopes of the Urals, where the Pechora originates, are characterized by karst topography—a region of eroded limestone featuring numerous caves, basins, and underground streams that influence the local drainage patterns.134