Russia seizes key lithium field in a dare for US-Ukraine minerals deal
Moscow's troops seized it as part of their summer offensive, which has achieved steady gains across Donetsk.
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 - just 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.
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Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump-backed bill may slap 500% tariffs on nations trading with Russia including India, China
US President Donald Trump has approved the introduction of a Senate bill that would impose a 500 per cent tariff on countries continuing to trade with Russia, including India and China, Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview published Sunday. 'Big breakthrough here. So what does this bill do? If you're buying products from Russia and you're not helping Ukraine, then there's a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70 percent of Putin's oil. They keep his war machine going,' Graham told ABC News. The bill, which Graham said now has 84 co-sponsors, aims to pressure countries like India and China to stop purchasing oil and other goods from Russia, thereby weakening its war economy and pushing Moscow to negotiate peace in Ukraine. 'My bill has 84 co-sponsors. It would allow the president to put tariffs on China, India, and other countries to stop them from supporting Vladimir Putin's war machine and get him to the table. For the first time yesterday, the president told me … I was playing golf with him [Trump]. He says, 'It's time to move your bill,'' Graham added. The bill, expected to be moved in August, is part of growing US efforts to tighten the economic noose around Russia as its war in Ukraine drags on. India and China have continued buying discounted Russian oil despite Western sanctions, making them targets of the proposed legislation. The bill is co-sponsored by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. 'We are going to give President Trump a tool in the toolbox,' Graham said, adding that the president told him while golfing, 'It's time to move your bill.' Initially proposed in March, the legislation was delayed after the White House signaled opposition to expanding sanctions, as Trump was trying to reset ties with Russian President. However, the administration now appears ready to support the effort. Reports suggest the White House previously pressed Graham to soften the bill. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Administration is 'quietly pressuring' the Senate to water down the legislation by turning 'the word 'shall' into 'may' wherever it appears in the bill's text, removing the mandatory nature of the prescribed reprimands.' The Journal's report gained further weight when Graham proposed a carve-out in the bill for countries that support Ukraine—an attempt to prevent a potential US-EU trade war if the legislation is enacted. President Donald Trump, speaking to Politico in mid-June, also signaled hesitation, saying, 'sanctions cost us a lot of money,' indicating a reluctance to pursue aggressive economic penalties. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio later clarified that while such sanctions could disrupt the Ukrainian peace process, the administration has not ruled them out entirely. If enacted, the legislation could mark a significant rupture in US trade relations with both Beijing and New Delhi. For India, which counts the US as a top export market, the measure could have wide-ranging economic and diplomatic consequences.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Ukrainian drones hit Russian air defence, manufacturing units in Donbas & Crimea
Days after destroying Russian military helicopters, Ukraine has now struck air defence systems and a fighter plane in occupied Crimea and a facility manufacturing drones and electronic warfare equipment in occupied Donetsk. read more A military operator launches a FlyEye WB Electronics SA, a Polish reconnaissance drone, bought via the 'Army of Drones' programme during test flights in the Kyiv region on August 2, 2022. (Representative Image, Photo Credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP) Ukraine has struck Russian air defence system and military industrial units in occupied Donbas and Crimea regions. The Ukrainian attacks came a day after Russia launched the largest aerial attack on Ukraine with 477 drones and 60 missiles. For weeks, Russia has been launching hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine on a near-daily basis. Just this week, Russia has launched more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs, Ukrainian officials told state media outlet United 24. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the latest Ukrainian attacks last night, drones struck a Russian facility manufacturing drones and electronic warfare equipment in occupied Donetsk and an oil depot in occupied Luhansk, according to Ukrainian state media. The two provinces make up the Donbas region. In separate attacks, Ukraine struck Russian air defence systems and aerial platforms in occupied Crimea. 👀 Temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk were reportedly attacked by drones overnight. In Donetsk, a facility used for manufacturing drones and electronic warfare equipment was reportedly hit. In Luhansk, the target was an oil depot. — UNITED24 Media (@United24media) July 1, 2025 Russia strikes Ukraine's air defence systems — potentially S-400 Ukraine's military intelligence service HUR has said that it struck a host of Russian air defence systems and aerial systems in the early hours of Tuesday. The HUR published footage of attacks on the internet said that domestically-produced UJ-26 'Bober' drones were involved in the attacks. The HUR said that the drones struck a Pantsir-S1 air defence system with its crew, a Niobium-SV radar, a Pechora-3 coastal radar, a Protivnik-GE radar system, and a Su-30 fighter plane at the Saky airbase. 'Reliable weapons in the hands of HUR special forces are turning the aggressor state's high-value military targets into useless scrap,' the HUR said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Separately, open-source intelligence analyst Crimean Wind reported on Telegram that Ukrainian drones could have also struck S-300 or S-400 air defence systems. However, there was no official confirmation or mainstream media reporting of such attacks. The possible attack on S-300/S-400 systems is believed to have taken place in on the Kerch Peninsula near the village of Kurortne in the Lenine district, according to the Telegram channel. The open-source analyst noted that systems appear to be S-300 or S-400 launchers with either a 30N6E or 92N6E target illumination radar and a rare 'Kasta-2E2' radar unit. Last week, Ukraine had struck the Kirovske airfield in occupied Crimea and destroyed a Pantsir-S1 system and three Russian helicopters of Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 types.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Our country was sold to Soviet Russia under the leadership of Gandhi family": BJP MP Nishikanth Dubey slams Cong over alleged foreign funds
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): Continuing his attack against Congress, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday alleged that India was sold to the Soviet Union by the Gandhi family. Citing a CIA document, Dubey reiterated his allegations that under the leadership of the late Congress leader HKL Bhagat, the Soviet Union funded more than 150 Congress MPs, and Congress candidate Subhadra Joshi took Rs 5 lakhs from the German government from 1977-80. 'The diaries of CIA and Mitrokhin mention that under the leadership of the late Congress leader HKL Bhagat, more than 150 Congress MPs were funded by Soviet Russia. It also mentions that a total of 16,000 news articles were published by Russia, according to their wish... It also mentions that Congress candidate Subhadra Joshi took Rs 5 lakh from the German government from 1977-80 in the name of elections, and after that, she became the president of the Indo-German Forum. If you look at it, it seemed that our country was sold to Soviet Russia under the leadership of Gandhi family,' Nishikant Dubey told ANI. Dubey further alleged that the US Ambassador Moynihan mentioned in his book that he gave money to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The BJP MP said, 'What I said today is that on 10 May 1979, there was a discussion in Rajya Sabha, in the book written by the US Ambassador Moynihan mentions that he gave money to Indira Gandhi twice, there was a full debate on this in Rajya Sabha and I have mentioned the phone conversation between Nixon and Kissinger, in which they are talking about giving money, how Congress can be managed, how the government can be managed. All these things are alarming.' He alleged that apart from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term, till 2014, the Indian government has been run by the CIA or KGP. 'When Manmohan Singh's government was formed in 2004, RAW Joint Director Rabinder Singh was sent away and till date his whereabouts are not known. All this shows that till 2014, leave aside only 5-6 years of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term, this government was either run by KGB or CIA and Congress and the entire Gandhi family were puppets of these two agencies and this was unfortunate for the country,' he added. Earlier, Dubey made these allegations on X and wrote, 'Congress, Corruption, and Slavery. This unclassified secret document was released by the CIA in 2011. According to it, under the leadership of the late Congress leader HKL Bhagat, more than 150 Congress MPs were funded by Soviet Russia, acting as agents for Russia?' He further alleged that during the Congress regime, 1100 people from the Russian intelligence agency were in India and they kept bureaucrats, business organisations, communist parties, and opinion makers in their 'pockets'. 'A group of journalists were their agents, and there is mention of a total of 16,000 news articles that Russia got published? Around that time, 1100 people from Russian intelligence agencies were in India, keeping bureaucrats, business organisations, communist parties, and opinion makers in their pockets, shaping India's policies along with information. Congress candidate Subhadra Joshi took 5 lakh rupees from the German government in the name of elections during that time, and after losing, became the president of the Indo-German Forum. Is this a country or a puppet of slaves, agents, and middlemen? Congress must answer, should there be an investigation on this today or not?', Nishikant Dubey said in his 'X' post. (ANI)
