During its spring offensive, Russian forces took control of one of Ukraine’s most promising lithium deposits — the Shevchenkivske site in Donetsk region. Previously under development by an American critical minerals company, the site was seen as a key asset in the growing economic partnership between Kyiv and Washington in the field of strategic resources. Its capture now poses serious risks to future joint projects and has already raised concerns among Western investors.
The Shevchenkivske deposit contains significant reserves of spodumene — a mineral from which lithium is extracted. Lithium is essential for manufacturing batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Ukraine had earlier signed a framework agreement with the United States on cooperation in the field of critical raw materials, including the development of domestic lithium, titanium, and rare earth element extraction — crucial for the West’s green energy transition. The agreement envisioned attracting investment into Ukrainian subsoil resources. However, with Shevchenkivske now under Russian control, the feasibility of that cooperation is under threat.
Myroslav Zhernov, the director of the company holding the license for the site, confirmed the loss in a comment to The New York Times. According to him, the battle for the deposit lasted several weeks: “It was very hot. They were bombing with everything they had. And now they’re there.” Zhernov warned that this may not be the end: “If the Russians advance farther, they will control more and more deposits.”
The New York Times reports that signs of activity have already been observed on the occupied territory: an assessment of reserves is underway, and preparations for future extraction may be in progress. In this way, control over lithium could give the Kremlin not only military but also geoeconomic advantages. The article notes that Russia is already leveraging its influence in global raw materials supply chains, particularly in uranium markets.
Although Ukraine still possesses two other major lithium deposits in its western regions, Shevchenkivske was considered the most promising due to its high spodumene concentration — up to 90%. In peacetime, the development of this site could have become not only a source of revenue, but a strategic lever for integrating Ukraine into Western critical materials markets.
Former head of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources, Roman Opimakh, explained that such investments are subject to enormous risks during wartime: “Security and control over a deposit is the main prerequisite. The military threat scares away investors, and the loss of such a site effectively nullifies any near-term development plans.”
Observers note that the war is increasingly taking on characteristics of economic conflict. Russia is not only destroying infrastructure but is actively targeting resources that could be useful to itself or potentially strengthen Ukraine. Gaining control over lithium assets allows for pressure on Western corporations and contributes to reshaping global dependencies.
Despite the loss, Zhernov said his company is not giving up on investing in Ukraine and is exploring other options. However, he admitted the situation has fundamentally changed risk assessments: “Before, we saw this project as a driver of economic growth. Now — it’s just another front in the war.”
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analysis center produced a detailed video analysis of the prospects for rare earth element mining in Ukraine.
Over the past three decades, pig farming has remained one of the most important components of global agricultural production. It has played a key role in providing the population with animal protein, shaping export flows in Asia and Europe, while remaining vulnerable to global epidemiological risks. Experts Club analysts have studied changes in the global pig population between 1990 and 2023.
“Pig farming is an industry where economics is closely intertwined with biological risks. It is extremely profitable in stable conditions, but it instantly suffers from any disruptions in the veterinary or logistics chain,” said Maxim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
In the early 1990s, the total number of pigs in the world grew steadily, especially in China, which became the largest producer and consumer of pork. Mass industrial production, urbanization, and high demand for meat in the Asia-Pacific region stimulated capacity expansion. By the mid-2010s, the industry was at its peak: in some years, the number of pigs in the world exceeded one billion. This dynamic reflected the successful commercialization of the industry in China, Vietnam, Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Spain.
However, after 2018, the global pig industry faced one of the most significant challenges in recent decades — the African swine fever (ASF) pandemic. The epizootic, which began in China, spread to dozens of countries and led to a massive reduction in livestock numbers. In China alone, it is estimated that more than 100 million pigs were destroyed. This caused a meat shortage in the global market, price increases, a crisis in feed chains, and a reorientation of international trade.
“After the ASF outbreak, China began to actively reform the structure of pig farming, moving from small farms to large biosecure complexes. This also affected the global market, as demand for safe and controlled meat rose sharply,” Urakin explained.
Europe, in turn, found itself under pressure from environmental legislation and growing animal welfare requirements. In the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, the industry declined not only due to disease but also due to political decisions to reduce methane and nitrate emissions. In North America, the situation remained stable, although it was affected by tariff wars, especially in US-China relations.
Today, the global pig industry has partially recovered but remains in a phase of restructuring. China is gradually restoring its livestock population, but on new principles — with strict control of biosecurity, genetics, and investment in innovation. At the same time, more and more countries are investing in alternative proteins — cultured meat and plant-based pork substitutes — which poses long-term risks to the traditional industry.
“The future of pig farming is a symbiosis of biotechnology, sustainable management, and veterinary reliability. Those who cannot adapt will lose the market,” concluded Maxim Urakin.
A detailed analysis of the situation on the pork market and a visualization of global trends can be found in a special video review on the Experts Club YouTube channel.
AGRICULTURAL MARKET, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, EXPERTS_CLUB, PIG FARMING, URAKIN
The introduction of new exams in Ukrainian and foreign languages for postgraduate students by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine violates their rights and will be appealed in court, states Roman Serhiyenko, a postgraduate student and the head of the charitable organization “Charitable Foundation ‘Let’s Change Our Lives’.”
“Postgraduate students have been working for more than a year to defend their legal and constitutional rights. Because last year’s initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, which aimed to introduce additional control measures for postgraduate students who are already studying, poses a rather threatening character for science in Ukraine and is aimed at violating the law and the constitutional rights of Ukrainian citizens, the constitutional rights of scholars, particularly those rights which cannot be restricted during the legal regime of martial law,” said Serhiyenko during a press conference on the topic “The issue of expediency and legality of the initiatives of the government and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine regarding postgraduate students.”
According to him, this is already the third attempt by postgraduate students to defend their rights, with the first two having been rejected. “What is the essence of the problem? It lies in the fact that this unified state exam, which the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine wants to introduce for postgraduate students who have completed their second year of study… in Ukrainian and foreign languages, although this type of control is not stipulated by any educational programs or documents,” noted the postgraduate student.
Serhiyenko emphasizes that the introduction of an additional control measure in such a form violates the constitutional and legal rights of postgraduate students, as well as the laws of Ukraine “On Education” and “On Higher Education.” Furthermore, the possibility of introducing control in the form of a unified state exam in Ukrainian and foreign languages is not stipulated by the National Qualifications Framework, as it is merely a description that does not provide for the implementation of additional control measures.
“Therefore, we were forced this year to file a lawsuit in court to annul the resolution adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in order to protect the rights of postgraduate students,” he said.
Lawyer and senior partner of the law firm “Kravets and Partners,” Rostyslav Kravets, declared that there is “systematic activity by the Ministry of Education aimed at destroying science and education in Ukraine.”
“Today, we have a very strange situation with the Ministry of Education and Science, where the minister himself declares that education is used solely for the purpose, as I understand it, not of gaining knowledge, achievements, developing science, or progress in Ukraine, but exclusively for avoiding military service. Moreover, this is done quite provocatively and openly,” said Kravets during the press conference.
Since these initiatives of the Ministry of Education are, in fact, not aimed at developing science in Ukraine and entail the violation of constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens, it was decided to challenge these actions in court and to ask the court to recognize as illegal and invalid the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated April 8, 2025, No. 426, in the part of the changes that are aimed at violating the rights and freedoms of postgraduate students, it was noted during the press conference.
Also, in parliament, signatures are being collected among members of parliament under a collective appeal to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
Source: Interfax-Ukraine
Ministry of Education of Ukraine, Postgraduate students, Rostislav Kravets, Роман Сергиенко
16 billion current passwords leaked online, including access to Apple, Google, and Facebook
According to Forbes, researchers from Cybernews have recorded a unique leak — more than 16 billion current login and password pairs on sites including Apple, Google, Facebook, and other services.
This is the largest leak in history: 30 different databases, each containing tens of millions to 3.5 billion records. About 184 million accounts from previous leaks were already known, while the rest is new, “fresh” and vulnerable information.
The data is suitable for instant phishing attacks and account hacks — the login-password structures are ready to use. These are not old leaks, but new, fresh lists that are actively being sold on dark forums.
What experts advise:
• Change passwords for all important online accounts (Google, Apple, social networks, email, etc.).
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) — via SMS, code generator app, or hardware keys.
• Switch to passkeys — password-less logins protected by biometrics or PINs, recommended by Google and Meta.
• Use a password manager to generate long, unique combinations and store them securely.
• Do not click on links from unverified SMS messages, emails, or messengers to avoid phishing.
Even old passwords (even “12345678”) are still relevant — they are often used in such leaks. After leaks, many people do not change them in time: according to research, only ~33% of users update their password after an incident — and only 13% do so within 3 months.
The global market for humanoid robots could grow to $1.4-1.7 trillion by 2050, according to UBS analysts. They estimate that in 10 years, the market will be replenished with 2 million such robots, and by 2050, their number could reach 300 million, which will help solve the problem of labor shortages.
The feasibility of using robots is due to an aging population, a shortage of labor resources, and low labor productivity growth in the service sector, according to a new UBS report.
At the same time, the bank’s analysts expect that the turning point, after which the rapid spread of anthropomorphic robots will begin, will not come before 2030.
“We see some obstacles that need to be overcome before production can gain momentum,” they write. “These are related to the development of AI, the formation of data arrays, and regulation.”
Over the next 20 years, the price of humanoid robots and the cost of their operation could fall by more than 70%, driven by increased production volumes and improved supply chains, according to UBS.
The development of the sector will bring significant benefits to automation companies, manufacturers of automotive components, semiconductors, and batteries, as well as suppliers of rare earth metals.
UBS estimates that the production of 86 million humanoid robots in 2050 will generate additional revenues of $400 billion for the automation market and $7 billion for the rare earth metals market, which is four times and twice the 2025 figures, respectively.
For more information on the prospects for rare earth element mining in Ukraine (without which robots cannot be created), see the video from the Experts Club analytical center – The global market for humanoid robots could reach $1.7 trillion by 2050.
According to the latest data from Eurostat, EU countries’ purchases of Russian gas increased significantly between January and April 2025. Despite efforts to abandon supplies from Russia, significant volumes of both pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) continued to flow into the European Union.
Imports of Russian pipeline gas to Europe in the first four months of 2025 increased by approximately 5–10% compared to the same period last year.
Russian LNG supplies also showed growth — at the end of January, this figure exceeded 17% compared to December 2024.
In January 2025, the EU spent about €1.9 billion on Russian gas: ≈€833 million on pipeline supplies and ≈€1.07 billion on LNG, which was the highest level in two years.
The suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine on January 1, 2025, prompted EU countries to increase purchases through alternative routes, such as TurkStream, and through LNG supplies.
Advantageous contracts and cheaper prices for Russian LNG are being used, especially in the context of energy shortages.
Energy dependence: Despite the goal of completely abandoning Russian gas by 2027, the EU bloc remains dependent on it for ≈19% of its total gas imports.
Diversification in progress: The EU is actively trying to offset the risks by finding new suppliers (the US, Norway, Algeria, Azerbaijan) and increasing the role of LNG, but ending Russian supplies will take time.
European authorities are discussing the possibility of transferring contracts to Force Majeure status, which would facilitate their termination by 2027.
