Summary and Key Points: Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions in Ukraine extend beyond military conquest to the annexation of the entire country. Starting with the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the support of an insurgency in the Donbas region, Putin ordered a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

-Despite facing military setbacks, Russia continues to plunder Ukrainian resources in occupied territories, shipping valuable materials like iron ore, coal, and lithium back to Russia. This strategy aims to weaken Ukraine's economy and deny its access to crucial industrial inputs.

-Additionally, Russia's efforts include the forced relocation of Ukrainian children to Russia, highlighting a comprehensive plan to absorb Ukraine into its sphere of control.

Ukraine's Resources Under Siege: Russia's Exploitation and Annexation Efforts

In Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks not just to win a war but essentially to annex a whole country. 

He began with the invasion and illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Soon he supported, directly and indirectly, an insurgency in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. Frustrated by the lack of progress, he ordered the full-scale invasion of his neighbor eight years later on February 24, 2022. 

His military forces have failed to realize his plan of a quick victory, and almost 900 days later, the Russian military is still struggling to achieve some of its original strategic objectives. 

However, while Russian forces are struggling on the ground, Putin’s plan to annex Ukraine is proceeding in the territories Moscow occupies. 

Stealing Ukrainian Resources 

For months now, the Ukrainian government has highlighted how Russian occupying forces take Ukrainian resources from occupied areas and ship them back to Russia.

Some of these natural resources include iron ore, coal, titanium, uranium, manganese, gold, and lithium. These are key materials for military purposes and modern industry. 

These resources are “almost certainly coveted by Russia but also potential targets as Russia seeks to grind down Ukraine’s economy, denying access and destroying infrastructure,” British Military Intelligence assessed. 

As we have discussed here at The National Interest, Russia is focusing its efforts in the resources-rich Donbas area to create a land bridge between Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula, but also to deny the operation of Ukraine’s heavy industry in the area. That heavy industry relies heavily on the region’s resources.

“One of the reasons Russia seeks to improve transportation networks in occupied Ukraine is because it was to extract more Ukrainian minerals,” British Military Intelligence added. 

This assessment contradicts Russian official statements. For example, Russian officials in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Southern Ukraine claimed that upgrading the road and rail transportation links to Russia is meant to help the local residents by facilitating the export of grain and minerals. 

“South of Dniprorudne in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Russia continues its mining activity, removing iron ore by rail. Trains travel through [occupied] Crimea, over the Kerch bridge into Russian,” British Military Intelligence stated.“This activity is not without risk; as trains need to move through areas where Ukrainian partisans are known to operate and have already claimed responsibility for attacks.”

The Russian plan to annex Ukraine or make it a puppet state is multifaceted and goes beyond stealing key natural resources or commandeering heavy industry. Indeed, the Russian government has even been stealing Ukrainian children from the occupied lands and relocating them to Russia so they can be raised as Russians. 

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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