Russia to launch mineral extraction program in Donetsk region — Ukrainian intel

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reported the information.

The program involves phased research of deposits, focusing on raw materials in demand in the modern economy, particularly strategic and rare metals. Intelligence sources emphasized that these are not one-off geological surveys, but a systematic program divided into several stages.

Soviet-era geological materials will serve as the foundation for the upcoming work. During the post-Soviet period, research in the region was essentially not conducted, so the occupation administration plans to verify and update existing data, as well as assess the prospects for industrial extraction.

Funding for the geological exploration work will come from the Russian Federation's state budget, which, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service, is telling, as such research requires significant investment without quick economic returns.

Intelligence officials stressed that Russia's interest in Ukrainian mineral resources has intensified amid problems in traditional raw material sectors.

"Russia's oil industry is experiencing serious difficulties: rising production costs, sanctions restrictions, problems with exports and technology are forcing the Kremlin to seek alternative sources of income. Under these conditions, temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories are viewed as a resource base for patching budget holes and supporting the war economy," the statement reads.

Thus, according to intelligence sources, the Kremlin views temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories as a resource base to cover budget losses and support its war economy.

• Denis Pushilin, the self-proclaimed head of the occupation administration in the Donetsk region, has signed a 2026 conscription decree establishing a long-term draft for men born between 1996 and 2008.