The Russian Federation is actively auctioning dozens of assets located in the occupied territories of Ukraine. This includes mines, quarries, agricultural lands, and other facilities, the rights to which are obtained by Russian companies. Among the sold assets, licenses for the extraction of sandstone, gravel, granite, and chalk from four mines in the Luhansk region stand out particularly.
This is reported by Business • Media
Sale of the gold deposit in Luhansk
One of the largest deals was the sale of rights to develop the Bobrykivske gold deposit, located in Luhansk. The winner of the auction was the company “Alchevskpromgroup,” which is controlled by the Russian mining company “Polyanka.” This company primarily operates in the Far East of Russia. According to open sources, the deal was concluded for $9.7 million. The reserves of this deposit are estimated at 1.64 tons of gold, which at current market prices amounts to nearly $260 million.
“Previously, the development of the site was handled by the Australian mining company Korab Resources, but it ceased operations in 2014 after the Russian occupation of the territory. Due to the loss of access to the site and sanctions, the company wrote off the project.”
Satellite images taken in September suggest that certain work may have already begun at the deposit.
Sale of resources and funding the occupation
Maintaining the occupied territories costs Russia significant amounts. However, experts emphasize that the sale and exploitation of natural and industrial resources from the occupied regions could become a substantial source of revenue for the Russian budget, especially amid significant military expenditures and harsh international sanctions. Estimates suggest that if this trend continues, the occupation could become economically profitable for Russia.