Scientists from the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine state that Ukraine possesses certain reserves of rare earth elements (REE). However, most of these reserves were studied during the Soviet era, and the data needs updating. It is important to note that a significant portion of potential deposits is located in areas currently controlled by Russia or in close proximity to active combat zones.
This is reported by Finway
Experts emphasize:
“Today, Ukraine lacks the necessary infrastructure for a complete cycle of extraction and processing of these elements.”
Of the six known REE deposits in Ukraine, only one — Novopoltavske, located in the Zaporizhzhia region — has confirmed reserves and is open for licensing. However, even this deposit requires investments of about $300 million for its full development.
Moreover, new projects for REE extraction face challenges related to China’s dominance in the global market for processing these elements. According to experts, for Ukraine to compete on the global REE stage, a complete value-added chain must be established — from extraction to the production of final products.