Ukraine has named the first winner of a tender to develop a lithium deposit, launching a pilot project at the “Dobra Block” site in the Kirovohrad region, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on Telegram.
The project is expected to draw at least $179 million in capital investment. Of that, $12 million will go toward new geological exploration and an international audit of reserves, and $167 million will fund mining and processing if commercial reserves are confirmed, Svyrydenko said.
Officials say the Dobra Block is a first step toward integrating Ukraine into partners’ supply chains, bringing advanced technologies and additional security guarantees.
The winner was selected using a 100-point scoring system that included Ukrainian and foreign companies and consortia with experience in subsurface development. The tender went to Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, LLC, whose shareholders are Techmet and The Rock Holdings. Svyrydenko said the company has significant experience in extracting critical minerals. The deposit remains the property of the Ukrainian people.
“This project opens unprecedented opportunities for Ukraine to enter the highly competitive, high-tech global lithium industry together with systemic American partners,” Svyrydenko said.
In June 2025, Le Figaro reported that the occupation of the village of Shevchenko cost Ukraine one of its largest lithium deposits.
Earlier, the Financial Times outlined when Ukraine could begin extracting minerals under a U.S. subsurface deal, suggesting not before 2040.
