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Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky stated that beginning this year, the cultivation of industrial hemp in Ukraine has been entirely deregulated. Now, anyone registered in the relevant registry can sow it. “We expect that this will lead to a significant increase in the area of this crop, which will be actively sown in May,” he noted. A two-year experimental period for cotton cultivation is also currently underway in Ukraine. Though this crop was first planted in the Odesa

According to the Opendatabot analytical portal, 81,928 individual entrepreneurs have opened in Ukraine since the beginning of the year, which is 9% less than during the same period last year. Meanwhile, 119,895 entrepreneurs have ceased their activities, with the number of closures increasing by 44% compared to the corresponding period in 2024. In total, 37,967 more individual entrepreneurs have closed this year than opened. Chairman of the Finance Committee Danylo Hetmantsev noted that the surge in the number of closures

Portuguese IT startup TEKEVER, specializing in developing AI-equipped reconnaissance drones, raised approximately $500M in investment, boosting its valuation to $1.25B. Investors fully supported this new round of financing that is intended to accelerate TEKEVER’s expansion. The planned five-year program will enhance the production of the TEKEVER drone family, including the AR3 and AR5 reconnaissance UAVs used by the Ukrainian military. TEKEVER operates offices in Ukraine focused on technology adaptation, training, and service support. The company claims that in partnership with

Over the three years of the war, the cost of housing construction in Ukraine has increased by an average of 90-115%, depending on the housing class, and it continues to grow. The reasons lie not only in the price of materials but also in the systemic shortage of personnel and the crisis in the supply of key materials. Only 40-50% of the pre-war construction workforce is currently employed. The labor shortage forces companies to raise salaries and attract contractors from

On May 7, Russia launched four ballistic missiles and 142 drones targeting Kyiv and other regional centers overnight, President Zelenskyy said on Wednesday. As a result of the attack, two people were killed in the capital, and seven were injured, including children, he stated. The strikes also targeted other regions of Ukraine, including Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, where additional individuals were injured, according to local authorities. At the same time, Russian air defenses shot down 16 drones flying

The US President’s Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has proposed the establishment of a demilitarized zone under joint Ukrainian-Russian control. He believes that a ceasefire “in place” will allow the parties to maintain control over the territory they currently hold. “The Ukrainians should recognize that these lands that they fought for will remain with the Russians for now, but the situation may change over time,” he said, referring to historical examples of the Baltic countries after World War II

In the absence of sanctions, it will be difficult for European buyers to terminate gas contracts under force majeure conditions. While a possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine may ease sanctions, the European Commission is studying legal options that would allow European companies to invoke force majeure and terminate Russian gas contracts without penalties. However, lawyers and analysts doubt that force majeure approach will be effective. For it to be declared, the supplier must violate the contract, but the

The framework intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and the US apparently contains two unpublished documents that were signed in Washington. According to these documents, the American side will receive all information that could potentially interest investors first, will have three months to evaluate their interest, and only if they decline to proceed can others take advantage of the opportunity. However, even after waiting for three months, investors cannot obtain more favorable financial conditions than those offered to American investors for the

The European Commission has finalized the preparation of the 17th package of sanctions targeting Russia, proposing restrictions on more than 150 vessels associated with the Russian shadow fleet that is used to circumvent oil sanctions. The total number of tankers subject to sanctions would exceed 300 if the measure is approved. The EC also supports sanctions against more than 60 individuals and legal entities, including around 50 companies, among them five Chinese entities, and 31 enterprises that aid the Russian

Canadian mining company Black Iron Inc., which operates the Shymanivske iron ore project, has supported the signing of a joint mineral resources agreement between Ukraine and the US, hoping that the document will provide its new mining project with assistance. The project’s successful implementation will create a development roadmap for investment under the agreement. The lack of companies with experience in launching large-scale mining operations in Ukraine will provide opportunities for Black Iron to participate in post-war reconstruction. According to

The President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) Gennady Chyzhykov noted that last year the volume of Ukrainian exports reached 129.2 million tons of goods ($41B). The continuation of trade on the international market confirms not only businesses’ stability but also the ability to adapt to new global realities. He expects an increase in export volumes, primarily in industries where Ukraine already has strong competitive advantages: agro-processing, food industry, IT, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, and woodworking. The key

Experts from the EasyBusiness NGO and Civitta, within the framework of the Better Market Connectivity of Ukraine to the EU project, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the export opportunities for Ukrainian business to EU countries with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), identifying the most promising industries for further support: In the food sector, export growth accelerated to 19% per year in 2021-2023 (versus 12% before the full-scale war). Ukrainian SMEs can provide the EU with environmentally friendly

In 2024, Ukrainians paid nearly PLN 1.65B ($414M) to the Polish state budget in personal income taxes (PIT) and corporate income taxes (CIT), according to Gremi Personal analysts. This represents an increase of 27.7% compared to last year and 100% more than in 2022. Ukrainians accounted for 33.7% of total tax revenue from foreigners in 2024. Experts suggest that the rise in tax revenue from foreign companies in Poland can be attributed to several factors, including: The introduction of tax

Ukrainian leadership from the Ministry of Finance held a working meeting with representatives of the Norwegian Norfund investment fund, during which they discussed opportunities for Ukraine’s recovery. The fund plans to focus on supporting growth in the Ukrainian private sector, creating jobs, and increasing economic resilience, particularly in the territories affected by Russian hostilities. Norfund’s priorities include financing renewable energy projects to boost Ukraine’s energy independence, investing in production with export potential, agriculture, the banking sector, and infrastructure reconstruction. The

Next year, A Development will open two shopping complexes in Kyiv: The White Lines shopping mall and the A-Station passage. The White Lines shopping mall will open in early 2026, covering an area of 28,000 square meters, with a current occupancy rate of 60%. Meanwhile, the A-Station passage will be launched in the first quarter of 2026 and span 1,000 square meters, alongside a 6,000 square meter passage with shops and cafes. There will be terraces for restaurants on the

For the first time, experts have recognized Ukrainian lands that were excluded from cultivation after the Chornobyl accident in 1986 as appropriate for agricultural use. For more than 30 years, the 2,000 square kilometer area had remained semi-abandoned. However, due to natural radioactive decay and soil erosion, the level of contamination has significantly decreased. Scientists assessed the radiation contamination of approximately 100 hectares of land in the Zhytomyr region and predicted the absorption levels of radioactive elements by common agricultural

US President Donald Trump stated that falling oil prices are increasing pressure on Russia and raising the likelihood of a peace deal being reached that will end the war in Ukraine. “Now that oil prices are down, we have a good time to make a deal. Russia wants to make a deal, Ukraine wants to make a deal,” Trump said. He has repeatedly called on OPEC to increase production and lower prices, arguing that this would deprive Russia of revenue

The Russian economy is showing a decline for the first time since 2022. The price of Russian oil in rubles has dropped below ₽4,000 per barrel for the first time in two years. This is approximately 40% less than what was planned in the Russian federal budget. Consequently, the average price of Russian Urals and ESPO grades decreased to $48.92 per barrel on May 2. This corresponds to a price of ₽3,987, which is more than 40% below the threshold

The new military operation commenced in the village of Tyotkino, located on the border with the Sumy region. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed a successful strike on a Russian UAV command post in the Tyotkino area of the Kursk region, where crews who deploy unmanned reconnaissance and strike drones were based. As a result of the strike, up to 20 enemy combatants were eliminated and their equipment was destroyed. The Russian Federation announced a sudden evacuation of residents from the

The agreement on joint investment in Ukrainian subsoil does not yet promise quick profits. The agreement encompasses all types of resources, from oil and gas to various metals and minerals. While Ukraine does possess these deposits, most remain insufficiently explored or are in areas temporarily occupied by Russia. For example, one of the main deposits of rare earth elements – Novopoltavske – has not been explored since the Soviet era and is situated near the front line. The situation is