reported the Sea Ports Administration. The big factor in the drop to 33 million tons was a 37% decrease in grain export volumes, to 8.6 million tons. Ore exports were down by 12%, to 9 million tons. During the first quarter, ports handled 253,170 containers, almost a 5% yoy decrease. Despite these tonnage drops, Ukraine’s exports were up by 12% in the first quarter, to $13.75 billion.

Electrification: The European Investment Bank has promised to finance the electrification of tracks to Lysychansk and Severnodonetsk, Kava said. This would almost cut in half – to eight hours — the travel time between Kyiv and Severnodonetsk, capital of Ukraine-controlled Luhansk. As part of the same Restoration of Donbas program, UZ seeks international financing to build a 30 km section of track that would shorten by 200 km the train ride between Mariupol, the Donetsk sea port, and Kramatorsk, the capital of Ukraine-controlled Donetsk.

River locks: The European Investment Bank and the Infrastructure Ministry are preparing an agreement to rebuild the locks on the six dams of the Dnipro cascade. “This year is a preparatory year for us,” Minister Krikliy said, saying the government plans to create a dedicated fund to modernize river infrastructure. Rebuilding all the locks is expected to be a 5-year, $40 million job. The government calculates that for each 1 million tons of cargo moved by river, almost $10 million is saved in road repairs.

The Finance Ministry depressed yields on five out of six bonds sold yesterday at auction, the Ministry reports on Facebook. For the hryvnia bonds, yields ranged from 9.2% for 3-month bonds to 12.05% for 3-year bonds. The lone dollar bond, a 1-year bond, went for 3.7%, down 10 bps from the last auction. Overall, the auction raised $377.2 million – up 10% compared to the prior week, according to results posted on the Ministry’s website.

“Given still light positioning, there is a potential for ongoing massive foreign inflows into UAH bonds,” ICU predicted yesterday in a 20-page report on the government hryvnia bond market, “UAH bonds – attractive again.” Ukraine’s bonds offer relatively high yields against a background of relatively modest macro, credit, and FX risks, especially on a short-term horizon,” writes the Kyiv investment bank. “High real rates, fast economic recovery, and favourable external conditions support the currency…By the end of the year, we see the currency close to current levels (UAH27.5-28/USD).”

The Prosecutor General’s Office yesterday charged Oleksandr Dubilet, former CEO of PrivatBank, with forgery and embezzlement of the equivalent of $5 million on the day before the bank was declared insolvent, in Dec. 2016. Dubilet was out of Ukraine when the charges were filed. Until last March, his son, Dmytro, was President Zelenskiy’s Minister to the Cabinet of Ministers.

In the embezzlement case, prosecutors charged two other former executives of PrivatBank. After it was declared insolvent, the bank was bailed out with $5 billion in public money. One of the former executives, Volodymyr Yatsenko, was detained after he fled Dnipro Monday morning in a private jet bound for Vienna. Agents ordered the pilot to land at Boryspil. His arrest order was signed at 9 am without publicity. Yatsenko was airborne at 10 am. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau is investigating to see if there was an information leak. The jet reportedly is owned by Igor Kolomoisky, the principal owner of PrivatBank before it was nationalized.

Kolomoisky and his business partner Gennadiy Bogolyubov were not charged in the embezzlement case. But they are under investigation in the United States for allegedly laundering money from Ukraine to buy office buildings in the US. Yesterday, the US Embassy in Kyiv greeted news of PrivatBank charges, tweeting congratulations to prosecutors “for bold actions against former PrivatBank officials, charged with costing Ukrainian taxpayers millions. Courageous actions like these are an important step in the fight against corruption.”

PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest and most profitable bank, is moving aggressively into the cashless economy. Last month, despite almost three weeks of lockdown, Ukrainians made 137 million cashless payments through PrivatBank trading terminals — almost double the 72 million recorded in January, 2020. The bank reported Monday that shoppers used cards to pay for $11.6 billion worth of goods through PrivatBank terminals, almost one third more than in 2019. The state-owned bank currently has 241,000 point of sale terminals. Almost 90% accept contactless payments by cards or smartphones.

With the support of a €200 million soft loan from the European Investment Bank, 29 cities across Ukraine will receive almost 1,000 mass transit vehicles – buses, trolley buses and trams, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslave Krykliy said yesterday at the government’s Infrastucture Forum. Approved by the Cabinet of Ministers last fall, the loan will help modernize mass transit over the next year in each of the 24 regional capitals, plus five cities.

The EBRD will loan Kyiv €50 million to buy new subway cars, Mark Magaletsky, deputy head of the bank’s Ukraine office, said yesterday. Mayor Klitschko said the City Council has voted to provide local guarantees for the loan. The money is expected to go to renewing the metro fleet where 100 of the 800 cars in service are considered to be in critical condition. One new subway car costs about €1 million.

More than a shopping list, the Forum provided a to do list for infrastructure projects committed for this year. Here are highlights. Roads will follow tomorrow.

Railroad stations concessions to private operators. First in line are: Kyiv-Passenger and Vinnytsia. Next in line are: Dnipro-Main, Kharkiv-Passenger, Mykolaiv, Chop and Khmelnitsky. Minister Krikliy said yesterday: “Now we are talking about Odessa and Lviv.”

Seaport concessions: Chornomorsk ferry, Chornomorsk container; Odesa passenger; Berdyansk, Izmail and Mariupol. Last year’s concessions to private foreign investors of parts of Kherson and Olvia, in Mykolaiv region, have brought in $131 million of investment.

Ski resorts: Construction starts this year on two resorts in the Carpathians – Borzhava in Zakarpattia, and Slavske in Lviv. Austrian investors interested in Borzhava.

High speed rail: China, Italy, South Korea and Turkey are interested in building a fast train network across Ukraine. “The only tool for building high-speed train networks is a concession – to realize this, Ukraine needs a powerful investor,” said Volodymyr Zhmak, CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia. “Today these potential investors are looking at Ukraine in terms of organizing high-speed traffic.”

EU rail gauge: Preliminary work on restoring a 20 km section of EU narrow track to connect Uzhhorod with Chop, the Ukrainian border town with rail ties to Hungary and Slovakia. By rebuilding this Hapsburg-era section of track, an $18 million project, Uzhhorod, the largest city in Zakarpattia, would become a transportation hub for trains to Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Munich, Prague, Sofia and Vienna, says Oleksandr Kava, deputy Finance Minister.

To revive aircraft production at Antonov, Ukreximbank is loaning $105 million to the state aircraft manufacturer to build three An-178 cargo jets for Ukraine’s Army, Yevhen Metzger, chairman of the state bank, writes on Facebook. Airplane delivery is planned for 2023. Concurrently, Antonov is building an An-178 for Peru’s National Police and is negotiating the sale of a second plane. Airplane building at Kyiv’s Antonov largely stopped in 2014 as the company worked to make or source parts to replace parts from Russia. Company officials say this substitution process is largely complete.

Ukraine’s hryvnia is likely to strengthen in the first half of 2021, thanks to foreign-currency inflows from exports and renewed interest by foreign investors in Ukrainian local bonds, a Reuters monthly poll of 13 analysts indicated yesterday. Last year, foreign investors cut their bond portfolio by almost $2 billion, or 42%.  In the second half of December, foreign investors reversed, buying $368 million worth of bonds. This year, forecasts of continued strong prices for metals and grains coupled with resumed IMF lending make for a median June exchange rate forecast of UAH 27.60/$1, about 2% stronger than the current level. Last year, the hryvnia lost 17% of its value, largely in March.

Ukraine’s hryvnia is likely to strengthen in the first half of 2021, thanks to foreign-currency inflows from exports and renewed interest by foreign investors in Ukrainian local bonds, a Reuters monthly poll of 13 analysts indicated yesterday. Last year, foreign investors cut their bond portfolio by almost $2 billion, or 42%.  In the second half of December, foreign investors reversed, buying $368 million worth of bonds. This year, forecasts of continued strong prices for metals and grains coupled with resumed IMF lending make for a median June exchange rate forecast of UAH 27.60/$1, about 2% stronger than the current level. Last year, the hryvnia lost 17% of its value, largely in March.

The analysts also forecast Ukraine’s economy will grow 4% in 2021, after an expected decline by 4.8% in 2020. Inflation will be 6.1%, compared to 5% expected in 2020.

The analysts also forecast Ukraine’s economy will grow 4% in 2021, after an expected decline by 4.8% in 2020. Inflation will be 6.1%, compared to 5% expected in 2020.

To ease the impact of the coronavirus recession, the government last year loaned $615 million under its program, Affordable loans 5-7-9%”. Of the 7,575 loans, 62% of the money went to refinance existing loans at lower rates.

To ease the impact of the coronavirus recession, the government last year loaned $615 million under its program, Affordable loans 5-7-9%”. Of the 7,575 loans, 62% of the money went to refinance existing loans at lower rates.

With reported Covid cases well below the numbers of November, the government is considering softening the lockdown which starts on Friday, reported Strana.ua. Citing ‘a source in the President’s Office,’ The lockdown could be postponed, shortened or simply liberalized. An announcement is expected today.

With reported Covid cases well below the numbers of November, the government is considering softening the lockdown which starts on Friday, reported Strana.ua. Citing ‘a source in the President’s Office,’ The lockdown could be postponed, shortened or simply liberalized. An announcement is expected today.

Ukraine’s average annual air temperature in 2020 exceeded the average long-term level by 2.2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 F, reaching a record high of 10.7 degrees C, or 51.3 F, Ukraine’s state-run weather forecasting body said yesterday. Average annual rainfall across Ukraine was 8% lower than the norm. The lowest levels were registered in eastern Donetsk, Luhansk and Mykolayiv regions. With harvests dependent on the weather, Ukraine accounted for about 16% of global grain exports in the 2019/20 marketing season.

Ukraine’s average annual air temperature in 2020 exceeded the average long-term level by 2.2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 F, reaching a record high of 10.7 degrees C, or 51.3 F, Ukraine’s state-run weather forecasting body said yesterday. Average annual rainfall across Ukraine was 8% lower than the norm. The lowest levels were registered in eastern Donetsk, Luhansk and Mykolayiv regions. With harvests dependent on the weather, Ukraine accounted for about 16% of global grain exports in the 2019/20 marketing season.

Last year was Kyiv’s hottest since weather recording keeping started in 1881, reports the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory. In 2020, the average temperature in Kyiv rose to 10.9°C, or 51.6 F, the hottest on record. Eleven months of the year had average temperatures higher than the climatic norm. Only May was colder.

Last year was Kyiv’s hottest since weather recording keeping started in 1881, reports the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory. In 2020, the average temperature in Kyiv rose to 10.9°C, or 51.6 F, the hottest on record. Eleven months of the year had average temperatures higher than the climatic norm. Only May was colder.

Half of Ukrainians are optimistic about 2021, according to a nationwide poll completed Monday by Kyiv’s Rating Sociological Group. Of 2,500 people interviewed, 52% expect the new year will be better than 2020, 27% do not expect changes and 18% say it will be worse. Young people, women, residents of Kyiv and of western Ukraine were the biggest optimists.

Half of Ukrainians are optimistic about 2021, according to a nationwide poll completed Monday by Kyiv’s Rating Sociological Group. Of 2,500 people interviewed, 52% expect the new year will be better than 2020, 27% do not expect changes and 18% say it will be worse. Young people, women, residents of Kyiv and of western Ukraine were the biggest optimists.

Tomorrow, Orthodox Christmas, is the favorite winter holiday for Ukrainians, the new Rating poll indicates.  Of the 2,500 people interviewed, 77% said they celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 and 15% say they celebrate twice, including ‘Catholic Christmas’ on Dec. 25. 5% do not celebrate Christmas at all.

Tomorrow, Orthodox Christmas, is the favorite winter holiday for Ukrainians, the new Rating poll indicates.  Of the 2,500 people interviewed, 77% said they celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 and 15% say they celebrate twice, including ‘Catholic Christmas’ on Dec. 25. 5% do not celebrate Christmas at all.

Despite the global recession, the volume of goods going through Ukraine’s seaports was virtually unchanged in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority. Last year, Ukraine’s ports handled 159 million tons of cargo, 0.7% less than in 2019. Grain exports were down 12%, to 48 million tons. Ore exports were up 18.5%, to 44 million tons. Overall exports ended the year up 1.5%, to 123 million tons.  Imports were down 8.6%, to 24 million tons. Transit was down 9%, to 10 million tons. Coastal was up 11%, to 2.4 million tons. And containers were up 4%, to 1 million.

Despite the global recession, the volume of goods going through Ukraine’s seaports was virtually unchanged in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority. Last year, Ukraine’s ports handled 159 million tons of cargo, 0.7% less than in 2019. Grain exports were down 12%, to 48 million tons. Ore exports were up 18.5%, to 44 million tons. Overall exports ended the year up 1.5%, to 123 million tons.  Imports were down 8.6%, to 24 million tons. Transit was down 9%, to 10 million tons. Coastal was up 11%, to 2.4 million tons. And containers were up 4%, to 1 million.

The combination of dropping grain exports and expanded terminal capacity may force down costs in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, reported AgriCensus in a story headlined: “Ukraine’s terminals compete as grain exports fall short.” This year, poor harvests have contributed to a 15% drop in grain exports. Meanwhile, grain handling capacity has increased by 20% over the last three years in Ukraine’s ports. The London-based news site wrote that this “could drive higher competition between terminals and slash transhipment costs in the Black Sea country, which is one of the world’s biggest exporters of corn and feed wheat.”

The combination of dropping grain exports and expanded terminal capacity may force down costs in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, reported AgriCensus in a story headlined: “Ukraine’s terminals compete as grain exports fall short.” This year, poor harvests have contributed to a 15% drop in grain exports. Meanwhile, grain handling capacity has increased by 20% over the last three years in Ukraine’s ports. The London-based news site wrote that this “could drive higher competition between terminals and slash transhipment costs in the Black Sea country, which is one of the world’s biggest exporters of corn and feed wheat.”

Despite Ukraine’s recession, sales of new cars in Ukraine fell by only 3% yoy, to 85,500 in 2020, reports Ukrautoprom, the car industry association. In December was the year’s record month, with Ukrainians buying 9,801 cars. With Ukraine’s lowered import taxes and the EU’s gradual phase out of diesel cars, first time registrations of used imports are about four times registrations of new cars. In 2020, Ukrainians registered about 350,000 imported used cars.

Despite Ukraine’s recession, sales of new cars in Ukraine fell by only 3% yoy, to 85,500 in 2020, reports Ukrautoprom, the car industry association. In December was the year’s record month, with Ukrainians buying 9,801 cars. With Ukraine’s lowered import taxes and the EU’s gradual phase out of diesel cars, first time registrations of used imports are about four times registrations of new cars. In 2020, Ukrainians registered about 350,000 imported used cars.

Cracking down on overloaded trucks, Highway Safety inspectors stopped 700,000 vehicles in 2020, fining 14,000 drivers nearly $5 million, reports Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krikliy. This year, Krikliy said, the government plans to continue to digitize the work of the Highway Safety agency “to eliminate the human factor” and to triple the number of Weight-in-Motion sensor devices, to almost 120.

Cracking down on overloaded trucks, Highway Safety inspectors stopped 700,000 vehicles in 2020, fining 14,000 drivers nearly $5 million, reports Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krikliy. This year, Krikliy said, the government plans to continue to digitize the work of the Highway Safety agency “to eliminate the human factor” and to triple the number of Weight-in-Motion sensor devices, to almost 120.

The EU plans to invest €100 million in opening five new Ukraine-Poland border check points in Lviv region, according to Maksym Kozytsky, head of Lviv Regional State Administration. To be completed over the next five years, the crossings represent a 50% increase in the checkpoints between Poland and western Ukraine. “These additional checkpoints will link Ukraine with Europe,” Kozytsky said, adding that Ukraine’s government plans to spend $3.5 million on improving access roads.

The EU plans to invest €100 million in opening five new Ukraine-Poland border check points in Lviv region, according to Maksym Kozytsky, head of Lviv Regional State Administration. To be completed over the next five years, the crossings represent a 50% increase in the checkpoints between Poland and western Ukraine. “These additional checkpoints will link Ukraine with Europe,” Kozytsky said, adding that Ukraine’s government plans to spend $3.5 million on improving access roads.

Passenger traffic through Lviv Airport dropped by 60% yoy in 2020, to 878,000 passengers, Tetyana Romanovska, the airport director, tells Avianews. By promoting Lviv as an air cargo hub, the state-owned airport managed to turn a small profit and to keep all its staff, she said. By comparison, Lviv handled 2.2 million passengers in 2019, making it Ukraine’s third busiest airport, after Kyiv Boryspil and Kyiv Sikorsky.

Passenger traffic through Lviv Airport dropped by 60% yoy in 2020, to 878,000 passengers, Tetyana Romanovska, the airport director, tells Avianews. By promoting Lviv as an air cargo hub, the state-owned airport managed to turn a small profit and to keep all its staff, she said. By comparison, Lviv handled 2.2 million passengers in 2019, making it Ukraine’s third busiest airport, after Kyiv Boryspil and Kyiv Sikorsky.

To revive aircraft production at Antonov, Ukreximbank is loaning $105 million to the state aircraft manufacturer to build three An-178 cargo jets for Ukraine’s Army, Yevhen Metzger, chairman of the state bank, writes on Facebook. Airplane delivery is planned for 2023. Concurrently, Antonov is building an An-178 for Peru’s National Police and is negotiating the sale of a second plane. Airplane building at Kyiv’s Antonov largely stopped in 2014 as the company worked to make or source parts to replace parts from Russia. Company officials say this substitution process is largely complete.