Russia is reportedly set to launch an extensive geological exploration program this year on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, aiming to assess and exploit deposits of strategic and rare metals vital to modern industries, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) on January 15.
The program, designed to run through 2031, will involve multi-phase, long-term geological surveys rather than isolated expeditions. The effort will rely heavily on Soviet-era geological data, which the occupying authorities plan to refine and update to evaluate the commercial potential of mineral resources for future industrial use.
“The interest in Ukrainian subsoil is growing amid significant deterioration in Russia’s traditional resource sectors,” SZRU said in a statement. “The Russian oil industry is facing mounting challenges, including rising extraction costs, export restrictions, sanctions, and technological difficulties. This has prompted the Kremlin to seek alternative revenue sources.”
The project is reportedly being financed directly from the Russian state budget, highlighting Moscow’s strategic interest in resource extraction from occupied territories. Ukrainian intelligence suggests the move is part of a broader plan to convert Donetsk’s mineral wealth into a financial cushion for Russia’s embattled economy and ongoing military operations.
“This is a blatant violation of international law. Russia is using geological exploration as a tool for looting the natural resources of occupied Ukrainian land,” the SZRU emphasized.
As geopolitical and economic pressures mount, experts warn that Moscow’s intensified exploitation of Ukrainian territory could further escalate regional tensions and deepen the humanitarian and environmental crisis in Donbas.
Earlier, it was reported that white House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are seeking to travel to Moscow in the near future for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as part of efforts by US President Donald Trump to advance a peace deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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