It looks like the surface of an alien planet.
Giant, pointed mounds of soil form ridges around huge frozen ponds across a vast landscape of sandy earth and enormous craters.
As if borrowed from the set of Star Wars, a colossal rectangular metal box, fitted with a long metallic arm, chain and gigantic scoop, gouges out chunks of land from one of the sprawling cavities, the arm swinging back and forth to empty its load on to another mini mountain of dirt.
This is one of Ukraine’s open-pit titanium mines – a natural resource Donald Trump may well be after as he prepares to sign a deal with Kyiv to access Ukrainian minerals, rare earth and other raw materials.
The site in Zhytomyr region, in the northwest of the country, is owned by Group DF, an international collection of companies founded by a Ukrainian businessman.
‘We’ve barely touched the surface’
Its director of mining told Sky News that it would take at least 200 years – probably more – to extract all the titanium ore from across Ukraine.
At this location alone, the company has been excavating for 15 years and has barely touched the surface.
“Ukraine is Europe’s titanium hub. That’s a fact,” said Dmytro Holik, whose full job title is Group DF director of mining and concentrating plant.
“Our plant produces around 15,000 tonnes of ilmenite per month, or approximately 200,000 tonnes annually,” he said. One tonne is worth about $250.
Foreign investment would be a ‘game-changer’
Ilmenite is a black iron-titanium oxide mineral and the primary ore of titanium – a hugely useful material that is used in an array of products from paint to dental implants.
As a lightweight, durable metal, it is also a valuable component in weapons.
However, the titanium extracted from the Zhytomyr site is only used in civilian products.
Mr Holik said he would welcome American or any other foreign investment into Ukraine to help the country improve its ability to extract its mineral reserves.
“There’s an abundance of raw materials,” he said. “Right now, our local investors simply lack the financial capacity to fund large-scale factories, deep-processing facilities, and advanced technologies…
“If a major international investor steps in – one with a long-term vision, not just for five or 10 years, but for 40 to 50 years – it would be a game-changer.”
He said his nation has all the expertise – the scientists, engineers and other skilled professionals.
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“What Ukraine lacks right now is investment and advanced technologies, which could be developed through partnerships.”
He said this would enable mines to modernise and improve their ability to extract minerals from the soil.
But Mr Holik said it was important that any investment deal benefits Ukraine.
“The shareholder could be a private investor, a government entity, or even international stakeholders – it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that the people are protected,” he said.
“It’s about ensuring that I, my family, and my fellow citizens can work with confidence in the future. It’s about making sure the country is secure. Ideally, a portion of these profits should go toward defence and security so that Ukraine can protect itself.”
Ukraine’s president also wants to use his deal with Mr Trump – which could be signed on Friday when the two leaders are due to meet in the White House – to secure American military support against Russia in the event of a ceasefire deal.
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Rare earth mining is complicated
Sky News was given a tour around the mining site to see how titanium ore is retrieved from the sand.
An excavator – the giant digging device – is used to dig through a top layer of grass-covered clay to a depth of about 15 metres.
This is where the ilmenite is found. It can take about six months to reach that point.
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The digger then works for another six months, painstakingly scooping up huge chunks of sand – about 20 tonnes per scoop – to a depth of 15 to 20 metres.
The sand contains varying quantities of the titanium ore – from 1% to 10%.
It is mixed with water and flushed along large pipes that frame the mine and are connected to two processing plants.
In one of the facilities, the titanium is enriched to about 70%.
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It is then transferred to the second factory where it is dried inside enormous rotating tubes, before being passed through magnetic and electrical machines to enrich it to 97%. At that point, the titanium is ready to be exported.
Once an area of land is mined, the company says it fills the holes back up to avoid causing long-term harm to the environment.
“When we’ve removed all the valuable minerals and the rest of the material returns from the plant – 100% of the material is sent there, but only 5% of it is valuable titanium ore – the remaining 95% is returned here, spread out, and the land will be reclaimed,” Mr Holik said.
“We’ll replant trees.”
