Over the last weekend, Russian troops completely captured the Ukrainian town of Shevchenko, which lies in the located in the Donetsk region. The town lies at the intersection of two routes leading into Pokrovsk.
Russia has more than one reason to occupy Shevchenko, one being its strategic importance. The next is more significant, for Shevchenko has one of the largest lithium deposits on Ukrainian territory.
Lithium, also referred to as 'white gold', is an important strategic resource used in the manufacture of EV batteries and a critical mineral for the renewable energy transition. It is quickly becoming the most valuable commodity on the planet and Russia wants it for itself.
Besides, Russia also wants to quash any possibility of Ukraine exchanging its vast mineral resources in exchange for US aid. Senators like Lindsey Graham had argued that Washington must support Ukraine because of its lucrative natural resources.
During a visit to Kyiv last September, Graham published a video standing next to Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy, in which he was heard saying, "They’re sitting on a trillion dollars worth of minerals that could be good to our economy. They just need weapons”, Graham implored, calling for more arms shipments to Kyiv.
By taking over Shevchenko, Russia has eliminated this possibility. This is the second deposit that Ukraine has lost to the Russian invaders. The first was the Balka Kruta deposit in the Zaporizhzhia region, some 30 kilometres north of Berdiansk. The other two large lithium deposits are located near Kropyvnytsky, west of the Dnipro River, and are therefore not under direct threat of occupation.
Russia takes over Kurakhove
Nearly the entire city of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast has been occupied by Russian forces, according to Deep State, an open-source online tracker of operations in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
According to the Deep State, there are still a certain number of observation posts on the outskirts of Kurakhove, particularly around the thermal power plant, but they no longer significantly affect control over the city. The control over Kurakhove provides the Russians with numerous advantages for pushing their offensive operations westward.
