Russians took The largest lithium nine in EUROPE., page-4

I wish I can say the same…a little bit of cherry picking here!!! Let me elaborate a bit. While it’s true that Shevchenko remains an undeveloped lithium deposit, reducing the recent Russian seizure to a mere operational delay misses the broader geopolitical calculus. This isn’t about spodumene concentrate rolling out in Q1 next year — it’s about strategic control over critical supply chains. The 13.8Mt figure frequently cited is merely one isolated data point; Ukrainian geological reports indicate significantly broader scale, with six mapped pegmatite bodies, excavation volumes exceeding 350,000m³, and reserve classifications under both Class 121 and 122 which signal multi-phase, structurally zoned lithium potential with associated rare elements like tantalum, niobium and beryllium. Average Li₂O content is noted at 1.24%, with depths reaching 200m and consistent spodumene mineralogy. Russia’s move is not logistical, it is leverage a resource denial maneuver embedded in a broader strategy of asymmetrical pressure on Europe’s energy and materials transition. While Western commentary debates feasibility schedules and code compliance, realpolitik prevails: strategic resources are not merely mined, they are weaponised. This is not about trucks — it’s about territory, timing, and the tectonics of power. West is shooting them selves in the foot.