This statement was made by Vladimir Rogov, the so-called russian "chairman of the Public Chamber Commission on Sovereignty and co-chairman of the Coordinating Council for the Integration of New Regions", according to russian media.
"Rogov reached this conclusion after Ukraine lost one of Europe's largest lithium deposits, located in the village of Shevchenko. According to Rogov, about a year ago, Ukraine handed over the rights to develop the Shevchenko lithium deposit to the British for 'laughable money'", - russian media reported.
"The development was to be carried out by the Australian company European Lithium, owned by British businessman Anthony Sage", - Rogov claimed. "But now their plans have been scrapped, and they are not destined to come true".
Media outlets remind readers that lithium is used in metallurgy, electrical engineering, ceramics, the chemical industry, and medicine. Recently, the demand for lithium has grown significantly due to its use in battery production.
The Shevchenko lithium deposit is located on the eastern outskirts of the village of Shevchenko in the Velyka Novosilka district of the Donetsk oblast. The deposit, spanning over 40 hectares, is not only rich in lithium but also contains other valuable natural resources, including niobium, beryllium, and tantalum, russian media specify.
It was previously reported that in January 2024, russian occupiers announced plans to "establish lithium extraction and processing" at the Shevchenko lithium deposit, one of the largest in Europe. However, they lamented that the deposit was then in the "gray zone", and ongoing hostilities made development impossible.