Russians plan to extract up to 1 million tonnes of manganese ore year in occupied Zaporizhzhia region
The occupying forces are planning the large-scale development of the Velyko-Tokmakskyi deposit in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Its reported reserves amount to up to 1.7 billion tonnes of manganese ore.
This was reported by Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Centre for the Study of the Occupation, according to Censor.NET.
It is reported that Russia’s Unified Institute of Spatial Planning has already incorporated the industrial development of the deposit into the draft master plan for the Tokmak District.
The plan provides for open-cast mining and the establishment of a mining and processing plant with a capacity of over 1 million tonnes of ore per year. It also provides for the creation of around 3,000 jobs, the construction of access roads, power supply and supporting infrastructure.
At the same time, Andriushchenko emphasised that actual extraction has not yet begun. However, unlike previous statements regarding the use of resources in the occupied territory, the invaders are now beginning to set aside land, roads, energy infrastructure and logistics for the future mining and processing plant.
"Previously, the manganese resources of occupied Zaporizhzhia were merely the subject of declarations and economic interest. Now, land, roads, energy infrastructure and logistics are being set aside for the future mining and processing plant," he noted.
According to Andriushchenko, Russia imports around 99 per cent of its metallic manganese from China; therefore, the aggressor state views the resources in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region as a means of import substitution and of reducing its dependence on Chinese supplies.
At present, there is no information regarding the licence or the specific operator due to develop the Velyko-Tokmatske field.
"Russia is actively shifting from utilising the captured industrial infrastructure to planning a new resource base in the occupied territory," concluded Andriushchenko.
