In 2026, Ukraine will begin a large-scale resumption of geological exploration of subsoil resources - for the first time in over a decade, these works will be financed from the state budget. International partners, including the US, Canada, Germany and the UK, will join the initiative, which will give the project strategic importance for the future recovery of the Ukrainian economy.

Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Yehor Perelygin reported this in a comment to the Ukrinform agency. According to him, the resumption of geological research will become an important part of the state economic recovery program. “I can’t even say exactly when Ukraine last conducted geoexploration with budget funds - at least over ten years ago. But next year we are returning to this practice, and our international partners are actively involved in the process,” the official noted.

Perelygin stressed that despite the hostilities, Ukraine already has the opportunity to resume exploration in safe regions, in particular in deposits and ore occurrences discovered in Soviet times. This primarily concerns drilling and refining mineral reserves. “We have hundreds of known locations where we can go with drilling rigs and start working right now. When the war is over, we will continue using modern technologies — lidar scanning, GIS analysis, and satellite monitoring. But the main thing is not to waste time and take the first step,” the deputy minister emphasized.

The resumption of geological exploration will be part of a broader partnership program with international financial institutions. In particular, the Ukrainian government has already approved the procedure for implementing agreements on the creation of the Ukrainian-American Reconstruction Investment Fund, which is to attract funds in the areas of subsoil use, infrastructure, energy, and high technologies.

Experts emphasize that such cooperation can become the basis for the future development of the metallurgical, energy and chemical industries, and will also ensure Ukraine's energy independence through better use of its own resources.

Thus, the launch of the geological exploration program in 2026 will be not only a technical step, but also an important economic signal for international partners: Ukraine is systematically preparing the basis for post-war reconstruction and development of resource potential, relying on transparent cooperation with leading countries of the world.