Russia Seizes Key Lithium Field in Challenge for U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

New York Times

27-06-2025

Russian forces have seized control of a valuable lithium deposit in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, depriving the country of a critical asset that could have helped support a new economic partnership with the United States.
The deposit, just outside the Shevchenko village in western Donetsk, was captured in recent days, according to battlefield maps from independent groups tracking Russian advances through geolocated combat footage. Moscow's troops seized it as part of their summer offensive, which has achieved steady gains across Donetsk.
Though relatively small — it covers only 100 acres — the deposit was seen by industry analysts as one of Ukraine's most valuable because of its rich concentration of lithium, a mineral essential for manufacturing advanced technologies such as electric batteries. The United States has designated lithium as critical to its economy and national security.
The Trump administration has aimed to tap into Ukraine's vast lithium reserves, some of Europe's largest, through a recently signed landmark agreement granting it front-row access to the country's mineral wealth.
But the capture of the Shevchenko deposit highlights a core challenge to the deal: The more territory Russian forces seize in Ukraine, the fewer resources Kyiv can offer to Washington.
'If Russian troops go further, capture more and more territory, they will control more and more mineral deposits,' said Mykhailo Zhernov, director of Critical Metals Corp, an American company that used to hold a license to exploit the Shevchenko deposit. 'It's an issue for this deal.'
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