Donetsk, Ukraine (Agencies) — On June 27, 2025 in a major development with far-reaching geopolitical and economic implications, Russian forces have captured the village of Shevchenko in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, securing control over the Shevchenkivske lithium deposit—one of the largest and most promising lithium reserves in Europe.
The deposit spans approximately 100 acres and contains an estimated 14 million tons of lithium-rich ore, with concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 4%. Discovered in 1982 during the Soviet era, the site had remained untapped until recently, when it was earmarked for development under a U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement signed in May 2025. The initiative was intended to support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and reduce Western dependence on Chinese lithium supply chains.
Lithium, often referred to as “white gold,” is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries, energy storage technologies, and aerospace manufacturing. Russia’s control over the Shevchenkivske deposit offers not only battlefield leverage but long-term economic power over global supply chains. The site also contains other rare and strategic minerals, including tantalum, niobium, beryllium, cesium, and tin.
Ukrainian officials maintain that legal ownership of the deposit remains with the state and its international partners. Any extraction by Russian occupiers would be considered theft under international law and a direct assault on Ukraine’s economic sovereignty. The seizure poses a severe threat to the U.S.-Ukraine Recovery Investment Fund, which was structured to bring foreign capital and technical expertise into the country’s critical minerals sector.
This marks the second major lithium site to fall under Russian control since the 2022 invasion, following the occupation of the Kruta Balka deposit in Zaporizhzhia. Global analysts caution that Russia’s expansion into resource corridors may deter international investment and prolong post-war recovery efforts. With lithium prices holding near $8,500 per ton, control over such a deposit could reshape Europe’s energy and industrial strategies for years to come.
As the war increasingly shifts from territorial battles to strategic resource domination, the seizure of Shevchenkivske underscores how the world’s most coveted minerals are now as contested as military strongholds.