Partners news

Monday, March 8

By the end of this decade, Ukraine’s goal is to sell all state companies not protected from privatization By the end of this decade, Ukraine’s goal is to sell all state companies not protected from privatization and to transfer to concession 90% of companies enterprise protected from privatization. These ...

With new coronavirus cases hitting 10,000 a day last week – double the rate of one month ago – over half of Ukrainians told pollsters they would support a new lockdown With new coronavirus cases hitting 10,000 a day last week – double the rate of one month ago – over half of Ukrainians told pollsters they would support a new lockdown. If cases keep surging, 56% woul...

In a separate poll, only one quarter of respondents told In a separate poll, only one quarter of respondents told the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology that they would take a coronavirus vaccine. Of the 1,207 respondents, 60% said they would not tak...

Under pressure for a slow start to vaccinations Under pressure for a slow start to vaccinations, Minister Stepanov told the Rada on Friday that all Ukrainian adults will be vaccinated by the end of this year. As of Thursday, only 10,000 people had ...

Ukraine will open full-fledged embassies in Chile, Ghana and the Philippines this year Ukraine will open full-fledged embassies in Chile, Ghana and the Philippines this year, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters on Friday. In addition to these new diplomatic posts, Ukraine will...

Ukraine will allow dual citizenship with EU and “friendly countries,” Ukraine will allow dual citizenship with EU and “friendly countries,” Foreign Minister Kuleba said on Friday when he announced plans to allow dual citizenship in Ukraine with the EU countries. One goa...

Ukraine’s grain harvest is expected to rise by 15% to 75 million tons this year, returning to the bumper crop levels of 2019, Ukraine’s grain harvest is expected to rise by 15% to 75 million tons this year, returning to the bumper crop levels of 2019, Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotskyi wrote on Facebook. While the amoun...

Oil crops are increase by 3.2% to 19 million tons. Oil crops are increase by 3.2% to 19 million tons. The harvest forecasts are: sunflower seeds +3% to 13.5 million tons; soy +11% to 3 million tons; and canola unchanged, at 2.6 million tons.

The State Department has barred Ihor Kolomoiskiy and his immediate family from entering the US. The State Department has barred Ihor Kolomoiskiy and his immediate family from entering the US. The bans come as the US Justice Department pursues a civil case alleging Kolomoiskiy and his business pa...

After Ukraine’s government nationalized PrivatBank in 2016 After Ukraine’s government nationalized PrivatBank in 2016, Kolomoiskiy left Ukraine for Switzerland and then for Israel, where he also holds citizenship. In 2019, Kolomoiskiy backed Zelenskiy in the ...

Friday, March 5

Ukrainians relentlessly move away from cash Ukrainians relentlessly move away from cash, indicates a National Bank of Ukraine report for card and contactless payments. Last year, the number of transactions with payment cards jumped 25% yoy, to ...

Highlights Highlights:

With new coronavirus cases doubling this week, With new coronavirus cases doubling this week, Prime Minister Shmygal warned yesterday: “It’s obvious that the third wave of the pandemic has started that Ukraine is facing.” Yesterday morning, 10,057...

The new cases are largely in Kyiv and to the West The new cases are largely in Kyiv and to the West: Zhytomyr Oblast – 888; Kyiv City – 868; Vinnytsia Oblast – 827; Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast – 776; and Zakarpattia – 676. Ukraine’s first two cases ...

Ukraine plans to become a major producer of lithium batteries for Europe’s electric cars Ukraine plans to become a major producer of lithium batteries for Europe’s electric cars, Prime Minister Shmygal told reporters yesterday, reviewing talks he had in Brussels last month. By 2030, Europ...

Coal miners may become lithium miners Coal miners may become lithium miners under a pilot project to start closing two coal mines this year, one in Lviv and the other in Donetsk, the Prime Minister. With German and Polish advice and aid, ...

Turkey and Ukraine are on the final stretch for finalize a bilateral free trade agreement Turkey and Ukraine are on the final stretch for finalize a bilateral free trade agreement, Shmygal told reporters. Of the long-delayed agreement, he said: “Literally, last week and this week the free ...

In a new twist on the Motor Sich drama, David Arakhamia, the head of Servant of the People faction in the Rada In a new twist on the Motor Sich drama, David Arakhamia, the head of Servant of the People faction in the Rada, said yesterday he will submit a bill to nationalize the Zaporizhia-based aircraft engine...

Navigation will resume next week on the Dnipro River, two months after closing for ice Navigation will resume next week on the Dnipro River, two months after closing for ice, reports Port of Ukraine. All locks on the Dnipro cascade – from the Kyiv Sea to the Black Sea – are to re-open W...

Although last year’s Dnipro shipping season was six weeks longer than usual, cargo dropped 5% yoy, to 11 million tons Although last year’s Dnipro shipping season was six weeks longer than usual, cargo dropped 5% yoy, to 11 million tons. “Results of cargo transportation were influenced by the reduction in grain transp...

With traffic jams clogging Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges, the City Council is studying restoring boat service across the river. With traffic jams clogging Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges, the City Council is studying restoring boat service across the river. According to Kiev Vlast, the River Port Administration calculates that 2,000 peo...

Fearing inflation, Ukraine’s central bank hikes the prime rate to 6.5% today, the first increase in two years. Fearing inflation, Ukraine’s central bank hikes the prime rate to 6.5% today, the first increase in two years. The hike ends a post-Independence low of 6%, which reigned since June.

In January-February, Ukrainians imported 53,000 used cars, 4.4 times the volume of the first two months of 2019 In January-February, Ukrainians imported 53,000 used cars, 4.4 times the volume of the first two months of 2019. Used imports, a rarity four years ago, now account for 81% of car imports, reports Ukra...

“We are responding to inflation beyond the target range of 5%,” Kateryna Rozhkova, “We are responding to inflation beyond the target range of 5%,” Kateryna Rozhkova, first deputy governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, wrote yesterday on Facebook. The bank predicts inflation will ...

More hikes could come this year, More hikes could come this year, Yuriy Geletiy, a deputy governor of the central bank, told reporters yestrerday. “The National Bank is ready to raise the discount rate more decisively to limit the fu...

In the first two months of this year, foreign holdings of Ukraine government bonds increased by $570 million In the first two months of this year, foreign holdings of Ukraine government bonds increased by $570 million, Geletiy told reporters yesterday. As of Monday, foreign holdings totaled $3.65 billion. He...

Remittances from Ukrainians working abroad are expected to grow by 8%, to $13 billion this year Remittances from Ukrainians working abroad are expected to grow by 8%, to $13 billion this year, Geletiy said. For the last two years, remittance averaged $12 billion, or $1 billion a month. Labor is ...

Thursday, March 4

High grain prices may partly cancel out falls in volume shipments High grain prices may partly cancel out falls in volume shipments. In the eight months since the grain marketing year started July 1, grain exports fell 22%, reported the Economy Ministry. Corn is dow...

Yet Black Sea grain prices are at seven-year high Yet Black Sea grain prices are at seven-year high: corn at $260-267 a ton, wheat at $281-288 a ton, and barley at $256-$263 a ton, reported Reuters. In the last marketing year, Ukraine exported 57 mil...

Kernel, the world’s largest sunflower oil producer, is halfway through a $169 million project to build cogeneration heat and power plants Kernel, the world’s largest sunflower oil producer, is halfway through a $169 million project to build cogeneration heat and power plants at its six oil seed crushing plants. The company already recei...

MHP Agroholding, Ukraine’s largest chicken producer plans to open 2,000 Myasomarket stores across Ukraine in the next three years MHP Agroholding, Ukraine’s largest chicken producer plans to open 2,000 Myasomarket stores across Ukraine in the next three years. Part of a shift from a ‘raw materials’ producer to a higher value ‘cu...

Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo is considering building a bakery in Fastiv, Kyiv region to bake buns for McDonald’s. Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo is considering building a bakery in Fastiv, Kyiv region to bake buns for McDonald’s. Three years ago, the multinational’s Ukraine unit, Bimbo QSR Ukraine, bought East Bolt Ukraine...

Swedish retailer H&M plans to open its first store outside of Kyiv in Kharkiv in May Swedish retailer H&M plans to open its first store outside of Kyiv in Kharkiv in May. With the 2,100 square meter store in the new Nikolskiy shopping mall, H&M will have six stores in Ukraine ...

With Kyiv traffic conjestion increasing, Ukravtodor agreed yesterday to complete the construction by the end of 2021 of the long-stalled New Darnytskyi Bridge With Kyiv traffic conjestion increasing, Ukravtodor agreed yesterday to complete the construction by the end of 2021 of the long-stalled New Darnytskyi Bridge. In what could be a $40 million project, ...

Kyivpastrans has opened a tender for two new cars for the Funicular, a purchase expected to cost €6.5 million. Kyivpastrans has opened a tender for two new cars for the Funicular, a purchase expected to cost €6.5 million. As part of a wider Urban Public Transport initiative for 11 Ukrainian cities, the Europea...

Casino gambling licenses have been issued to five hotels, Casino gambling licenses have been issued to five hotels, Danilo Hetmantsev, Head of the Rada’s Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs policy, said after a briefing Tuesday by Ivan Rudy, Head of the Co...

Turkish Airlines’ lowcost unit, AnadoluJet, will start flights to Ukraine for the first time on March 30 2021 with a flight between Ankara and Kyiv Boryspil. Turkish Airlines’ lowcost unit, AnadoluJet, will start flights to Ukraine for the first time on March 30 2021 with a flight between Ankara and Kyiv Boryspil. Flying a Boeing 737-800, Anadolujet schedu...

Last Tuesday, Turkey reopened restaurants for inside dining, ending a long ban. Last Tuesday, Turkey reopened restaurants for inside dining, ending a long ban. Ukrainian tourists can travel to Turkey without a visa if they have a negative coronavirus test result taken no earlier ...

With coronavirus hospitalizations spiking to the highest level since the pandemic appeared in Ukraine one year ago With coronavirus hospitalizations spiking to the highest level since the pandemic appeared in Ukraine one year ago, Ukrzalysnitsia is temporarily ceasing passenger train service to the three most effe...

Yesterday morning, the Health Minister Maksym Stepanov reported that 3,486 people were hospitalized with Coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. Yesterday morning, the Health Minister Maksym Stepanov reported that 3,486 people were hospitalized with Coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. During the same period, 7,235 new cases were registered, ...

By November, all Ukrainians will have had the opportunity to be vaccinated By November, all Ukrainians will have had the opportunity to be vaccinated, Stepanov said Monday on ICTV’s Freedom of Speech talk show. Starting next week, the daily vaccination rate is to hit 10,000....

Ukrainians can sign up for vaccinations through Ukrainians can sign up for vaccinations through the Diia website, or by calling the Health Ministry’s hotline: 0 800 60 20 19. Although international donors are paying for a large portion of the vacci...

Cargo handled by Ukraine’s ports was down 24% yoy in January-February, Cargo handled by Ukraine’s ports was down 24% yoy in January-February, to 20.6 million tons, reported the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. Exports dropped by 23%, to 16.1 million tons. Imports dropped b...

Wednesday, March 3

Dragon Capital writes: “ Dragon Capital writes: “We expect retail turnover to remain on an upward trend throughout the rest of this year, as slow vaccination will limit the recovery in international travel, supporting domesti...

With foreign investors increasingly believing in Ukraine’s foreign exchange rate stability, the Finance Ministry sharply cut yields in short term debt With foreign investors increasingly believing in Ukraine’s foreign exchange rate stability, the Finance Ministry sharply cut yields in short term debt up for auction yesterday, the Ministry reports. Y...

Foreign investors were the fastest growing class of buyers in February, increasing their holdings by $233 million, Foreign investors were the fastest growing class of buyers in February, increasing their holdings by $233 million, Bohdan Danylyshyn, chairman of the National Bank Council, writes on Facebook. Last ye...

“Ukraine local bonds are back,” “Ukraine local bonds are back,” headlines a story in BNEIntellinews. “Despite the political brouhaha that never ends in Ukraine, the macroeconomic situation has improved enormously in the last two yea...

Analysts are divided on whether Ukraine’s central bank will raise its prime rate tomorrow or hold it steady Analysts are divided on whether Ukraine’s central bank will raise its prime rate tomorrow or hold it steady, a Reuters poll showed Tuesday. Half of 16 Ukrainian analysts predict the National Bank of U...

The EU will provide money to build more and better crossing points between the Ukraine- and Russia-controlled halves of the Donbas The EU will provide money to build more and better crossing points between the Ukraine- and Russia-controlled halves of the Donbas, European Council President Charles Michel yesterday at a joint press...

Russia cut crossings of the line of control by 96% last year, Russia cut crossings of the line of control by 96% last year, according to figures supplied by Oleksiy Reznikov, deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territorie...