In 2026, Russia plans to launch a large-scale geological exploration program in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast, scheduled to run until 2031. It envisages phased studies of deposits with a focus on raw materials in demand in the modern economy, including strategic and rare metals. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service, writes UNN.
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It is about phased studies of deposits with a focus on raw materials in demand in the modern economy, including strategic and rare metals. The intelligence emphasized that these are not one-time geological expeditions, but a systematic program divided into several stages.
Soviet geological materials are to form the basis for future work. In the post-Soviet period, research in the region was virtually non-existent, so the occupation administration plans to clarify and update existing data, as well as assess the prospects for industrial extraction.
The financing of geological exploration will be carried out at the expense of the state budget of the Russian Federation, which, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service, is indicative, as such studies require significant investments without quick economic returns.
The intelligence emphasized that Russia's interest in Ukrainian subsoil has increased against the backdrop of problems in traditional raw material industries.
Russia's oil industry is experiencing serious difficulties: rising production costs, sanctions restrictions, problems with exports and technologies are forcing the Kremlin to look for alternative sources of income. In these conditions, the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories are considered as a resource base for patching budget holes and supporting the war economy.
Thus, according to intelligence officers, the Kremlin considers the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories as a resource base for covering budget losses and supporting the war economy.