Putin's bullion heist as gold and lithium are looted from occupied Ukraine - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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Putin's bullion heist as gold and lithium are looted from occupied Ukraine - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
"The development rights for the Bobrykivske gold deposit in Luhansk Oblast were sold for just $9.7 million to a company linked to a Russian mining firm, despite its potential value of nearly $260 million."
"Attention is also being drawn to a major lithium reserve located in Donetsk Oblast, which was seized by Russian forces in 2025 and is viewed as one of Ukraine's most promising sources of lithium."
"Ukraine is estimated to host around 20 of the world's critical minerals, positioning the country at the centre of a growing global competition for strategic resources."
"These auctions are likely to create new legal and political challenges, as Kyiv and its allies are expected to argue that any extraction agreements made under occupation lack legal validity under international law."
Russia has begun auctioning natural resource assets in occupied areas of Ukraine, including the Bobrykivske gold deposit sold for $9.7 million. This deposit contains 1.64 metric tonnes of gold, valued at nearly $260 million. The sale is part of a broader initiative to monetize assets in occupied regions, with numerous mines and agricultural sites being offered. Attention is also on a major lithium reserve in Donetsk Oblast, which contains valuable rare elements. These actions are expected to create legal and political challenges regarding the validity of extraction agreements under international law.
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