Ukrainian company Velta discovers potential rare earth elements at Byrzulivske deposit

Ukrainian company Velta has obtained preliminary data indicating the possible presence of rare earth elements (REEs) at the Byrzulivske titanium ore deposit in the Kirovohrad region. The news was shared by Velta's owner, Andriy Brodsky, on Facebook.

Brodsky admitted that he had previously been skeptical about Ukraine’s potential in this area, believing the country had reserves of non-ferrous and rare metals, but "not much" in terms of rare earth elements.

"Today, we received very preliminary but also highly encouraging data," Brodsky wrote.

According to him, recent research has revealed traces of several critical elements within local ilmenite ores, including niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), hafnium (Hf), scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), and thorium (Th).

He emphasized that these findings are preliminary and require further geological analysis to determine the potential for commercial extraction.

"I’m an optimist. So don’t be surprised if, in a few years, Ukraine appears on the global rare earth supply map," Brodsky added.

The research was conducted as part of a collaborative effort with European partners under the REPTiS project—a major initiative funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme. The project's primary objective is to establish a sustainable and independent supply chain for high-purity titanium powders and alloys within the EU.

In May 2025, Velta also announced the reconstruction of production facilities at the Byrzulivske site.