Ukraine May Hold 20% of Global Titanium Reserves, Geologist Reveals

Ukraine could possess as much as 20% of the world’s titanium reserves, potentially making it a major global player in the extraction of this critical strategic metal, according to Dr. Olena Remezova, head of the Mineral Resources Department at Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences.

“We believe this: if you count the reserves, plus the resources, and include what’s underexplored and not yet studied, it could well amount to 20% of global titanium reserves. The Russians have always claimed we have just 1%, which is simply not true. The truth is, their best titanium deposit is worse than an average one of ours,” Remezova told Ukrainian media outlet RBC-Ukraine in a May 11 interview.

Remezova emphasized that this abundance makes Ukraine one of the few European countries capable of producing titanium.

“Ukraine is one of the few European nations that can mine titanium. In Europe, only Norway currently produces it—no one else,” she said.

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Titanium plays a vital role in a wide array of high-tech industries, including aerospace, shipbuilding, weapons manufacturing, and broader industrial engineering. Its high value and strategic importance are amplified by its use in advanced defense systems.

“Titanium has a huge range of applications, and products made from it have very high added value. It’s used in the defense industry, aircraft, modern ships, weapons—basically any kind of mechanical engineering needs titanium,” Remezova explained.

She added that in some regions of Ukraine, titanium deposits coincide with lithium reserves—an intersection that could pave the way for the development of powerful batteries for hybrid vehicles.

“There are titanium placer deposits in the Zhytomyr region, a strip along the Dnipro, and the Ukrainian Placer Subprovince. There are also deposits near Pryazovia. In smaller quantities, there are placers in Kharkiv and Sumy regions—maybe not as attractive, but potentially viable in the future,” she noted.

Beyond titanium, Ukraine’s ore contains other critical elements like scandium and vanadium. Scandium, in particular, plays a key role in the aerospace industry, especially in the production of American fighter jets.

“Titanium ores also contain scandium and vanadium. Scandium, by the way, is used in alloys for making US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets. You need several hundred kilograms of it to create these modern alloys because they add durability,” Remezova said.

Earlier, the United States and Ukraine signed a landmark minerals deal that will give American investors access to Ukraine’s vast untapped mineral reserves while establishing a joint investment fund to drive the country’s postwar reconstruction.