Which regions of Ukraine have the largest deposits of rare earth metals and what is wrong with them
26 February 21:27
More than 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth metal deposits are located in the occupied regions. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to The Independent.
Ukraine has significant reserves of various minerals, including rare earth elements and strategic minerals. The distribution of these resources across the country’s regions is as follows:
Titanium. The main titanium deposits are located in Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Dnipro and partially in Kyiv regions. Titanium is a strategically important metal that is widely used in the aerospace and defense industries.
Lithium. Four lithium ore deposits have been explored in Ukraine. Two of them are located in Kirovohrad region (Polokhivske and Dobra), and the others are in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions (Shevchenkivske and Kruta Balka). Lithium is a key component for the production of batteries and other high-tech devices.
Cobalt and nickel. There are 12 silicate and nickel deposits in Kirovograd and Dnipro regions with cobalt reserves of about 9 thousand tons and nickel reserves of about 215 thousand tons. These metals can be extracted as auxiliary elements in the development of nickel ores.
Uranium: Ukraine has significant reserves of uranium, which is essential for nuclear power. Three uranium deposits are located in Dnipropetrovska and Kirovohradska oblasts. However, uranium production has significantly decreased since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Rare earth elements: Although Ukraine has a variety of mineral resources, information on the country’s significant reserves of rare earth elements is limited and requires further research. The development of these deposits requires significant investments and a stable political environment.
It should be noted that access to some of these deposits is limited due to the hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, which complicates their full development and exploitation.
In particular, according to The Independent, Ukraine’s mineral resources are estimated at more than £6 trillion, concentrated in four regions annexed by Russia in September 2022. These include Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
The Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014, also contains mineral resources worth approximately 165 billion pounds.
In turn, the Dnipropetrovs’k region, which borders the occupied territories, contains additional resources in the form of minerals worth 2.8 trillion pounds.
