The Donetsk People's Republic is preparing to start geological exploration for rare earth metals - a strategically important area for industry and high technology. According to TASS, the Deputy Prime Minister of the DPR, Vladimir Yezhikov, announced that five deposits and fifteen occurrences of rare earth metals, explored back in the Soviet period, are known on the territory of the republic.
According to him, in 2026, a state program of geological exploration will start, which will clarify the boundaries of deposits, determine reserves and assess the economic feasibility of their industrial development. Only after that, Yezhikov noted, will it be possible to discuss the participation of private investors and the start of production on an industrial scale.
Exploration of rare earth elements requires significant investment and high technological readiness. These metals are used in the production of electronics, batteries, optics, magnets and components for the defense industry. Their extraction and processing is one of the key areas of the state's resource independence.
Yezhikov previously clarified that the program includes the creation of detailed geological maps on a scale of 1:200,000 and 1:500,000, which will become the basis for a systematic assessment of the mineral resource potential of the region. The DPR authorities consider the development of the mining sector a priority - especially against the background of the restoration of the Donbas economy and the growing needs of the construction and energy industries.
In Russia, 18 rare earth metal (REM) deposits are listed on the state balance sheet, of which only one - the Lovozerskoye deposit in the Murmansk region - is being developed industrially. The remaining 17 are classified as promising or potential, including the Tomtor deposit in Yakutia, the largest in terms of reserves, as well as facilities in the Irkutsk region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tyva and the Kola Peninsula.
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