Russian troops have captured one of the largest lithium deposits in Ukraine, located near the village of Shevchenko in the Donetsk region. Despite the surrounding areas being under the control of Ukrainian forces, the deposit known as «Shevchenkivske» is currently occupied by the Russian Federation. Intense fighting is ongoing in this area.
This is reported by Business • Media
Impact of the Occupation on International Agreements and Investments
The situation regarding the loss of the deposit occurred two months after Kyiv and Washington signed an important agreement on the development of cooperation in the field of critical minerals on April 30. This document aims to attract investment to the Ukrainian mining sector and ensure strategic cooperation with the USA. However, Serhiy Fursa, a top manager at the investment company Dragon Capital, is convinced that the capture of the deposit will not significantly affect the execution of the agreement.
«It was obvious that it was under enormous risk of occupation, and no one expected it to be a valuable asset for the agreement.»
The Situation with Other Lithium Deposits
As of now, Ukraine has lost two out of four lithium deposits: after «Shevchenkivske», the «Kruta Balka» deposit in the Zaporizhzhia region came under Russian control early in the full-scale invasion. Currently, only two deposits located in the central part of the country remain under Ukrainian control.
Lithium is one of the key minerals mentioned in the agreement signed between Ukraine and the USA. The Ukrainian authorities plan to open the large «Dobra» deposit in Kirovohrad region to private investors, where lithium ore reserves are estimated to be between 80 and 105 million tons. This is expected to become one of the largest projects for the extraction of strategic raw materials in Ukraine and attract significant international investments.