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Thursday, December 24

The Cabinet of Ministers approved yesterday a bill to resume privatization of large state-owned companies The Cabinet of Ministers approved yesterday a bill to resume privatization of large state-owned companies, a process suspended last March due to the coronavirus outbreak. With investors now familiar w...

By Jan. 4, acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko is to prepare a solution for paying the $921 million solar and wind power debt By Jan. 4, acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko is to prepare a solution for paying the $921 million solar and wind power debt owed by the government’s Guarantee Buyer. Prime Minister Shmygal set the...

Today, the first cars are to roll across the first completed section of Zaporizhzhia’s new road bridge over the Dnipro Today, the first cars are to roll across the first completed section of Zaporizhzhia’s new road bridge over the Dnipro. Long lampooned as the city’s white elephant, the unfinished bridge saw construct...

The Infrastructure Ministry plans to restore 50% more roads in 2021 than this year The Infrastructure Ministry plans to restore 50% more roads in 2021 than this year, Minister Vladyslav Krikliy told Interfax-Ukraine in a wide-ranging interview. The 2021 goal is now 6,800 km. “Anothe...

Planning to open select highway sections to privately built and operated toll roads, the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday set tolls Planning to open select highway sections to privately built and operated toll roads, the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday set tolls, measured in Euros. For cars, motorcycles and minibuses up to 10 seats...

Road repair was the most popular phenomenon of 2020, winning the approval of 93% Road repair was the most popular phenomenon of 2020, winning the approval of 93% of 2,004 participants in a nationwide poll. The poll was conducted in the first half of December for the Kyiv Internati...

The Infrastructure Ministry plans to start laying European gauge track in Ukraine next year The Infrastructure Ministry plans to start laying European gauge track in Ukraine next year, Krikliy told Interfax-Ukraine. The priorities are two sections of Ukrzaliznytsia’s track to the Polish bord...

By opening Ukraine’s 13 state-owned seaports to private companies through concessions, the government hopes to draw $1.8 billion in private investment through 2038. By opening Ukraine’s 13 state-owned seaports to private companies through concessions, the government hopes to draw $1.8 billion in private investment through 2038. These concessions – largely renting...

The European Investment Bank Board has approved a €270 million loan to upgrade Boryspil Airport The European Investment Bank Board has approved a €270 million loan to upgrade Boryspil Airport, the Bank’s website reports. The money would cover about three quarters of a €351 million Boryspil renew...

Construction is to start next summer on a 4-year, $500 million project to build Ukraine’s largest and most modern ski area in Lviv’s Carpathian Mountains. Construction is to start next summer on a 4-year, $500 million project to build Ukraine’s largest and most modern ski area in Lviv’s Carpathian Mountains. Based in Volosianka, a 3-hour train ride sout...

Outgoing US President Donald Trump vetoed yesterday the US defense budget, a document that includes $275 million in military support for Ukraine Outgoing US President Donald Trump vetoed yesterday the US defense budget, a document that includes $275 million in military support for Ukraine and tighter sanctions on Western companies involved in ...

US Aid to Ukraine is coming under threat from a different direction – dissatisfaction over the coronavirus stimulus bill, which would give payments of $600 per person. US Aid to Ukraine is coming under threat from a different direction – dissatisfaction over the coronavirus stimulus bill, which would give payments of $600 per person. On Tuesday, President Trump call...

Over the next week, Ukraine will attract a 6-month loan from Deutsche Bank of up to $350 million Over the next week, Ukraine will attract a 6-month loan from Deutsche Bank of up to $350 million, the Cabinet of Ministers resolved yesterday. The move to take a bridge loan indicates that the governm...

Wednesday, December 23

Creating synergies, Volia generates 95% of its revenues from consumers, and Datagroup generates 85% of its revenues from businesses Creating synergies, Volia generates 95% of its revenues from consumers, and Datagroup generates 85% of its revenues from businesses. Datagroup’s Shelemba says the company is “a reliable partner for ov...

Canada’s Black Iron mining company has signed a preliminary agreement with an American institutional investor to raise US $100 million Canada’s Black Iron mining company has signed a preliminary agreement with an American institutional investor to raise US $100 million to create new iron ore production in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk r...

Stalled in the planning stages for a decade, Black Iron gained a new life this year due to three factors: Stalled in the planning stages for a decade, Black Iron gained a new life this year due to three factors: jumping iron prices, China’s drive to diversify raw material imports away from Australia, and ...

Dragon Capital has won approval to buy Kyiv’s Unex Bank from Vadym Novynskyi Dragon Capital has won approval to buy Kyiv’s Unex Bank from Vadym Novynskyi, reports Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee. Neither Dragon nor Novynskyi’s Smart Holding confirmed a sale to Interfax-Ukrain...

AxDraft, a fast-growing Kyiv startup that automates the preparation of legal documents, has been acquired by Onit, a Houston-based legal technology company. AxDraft, a fast-growing Kyiv startup that automates the preparation of legal documents, has been acquired by Onit, a Houston-based legal technology company. Founded only three years ago, AxDraft has w...

New Jersey’s Holtec International has completed the first $70 million stage of a 20-year, $1.3 billion project to build a nuclear spent fuel storage repository near Chornobyl. The site will take waste from three of Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants New Jersey’s Holtec International has completed the first $70 million stage of a 20-year, $1.3 billion project to build a nuclear spent fuel storage repository near Chornobyl. The site will take waste...

Stainless steel nuclear waste canisters, each weighing almost 200 tons, will arrive by rail at the repository site in Yaniv, Kyiv Oblast. Stainless steel nuclear waste canisters, each weighing almost 200 tons, will arrive by rail at the repository site in Yaniv, Kyiv Oblast. Over the next six months, Ukrzaliznytsia crews are to reopen 4...

Holtec will supply the first 94 containers — a $300 million contract Holtec will supply the first 94 containers — a $300 million contract. Simultaneously, Ukraine is to use Holtec technology to start making its own canisters, for domestic use and export. Yesterda...

During this decade, Ukraine’s electricity production from nuclear will rise from 53% today, to 57% in 2030. During this decade, Ukraine’s electricity production from nuclear will rise from 53% today, to 57% in 2030. At the same time, the electricity share from coal will drop almost in half, to 12%. These we...

In a radical corporate turnaround, DTEK wants to be Ukraine’s leader in decarbonization, In a radical corporate turnaround, DTEK wants to be Ukraine’s leader in decarbonization, Timchenko said during his presentation of DTEK’s strategy to 2030. “We want to change, we want to move fr...

After investing about $1 billion in Ukraine wind and solar projects in the last three years, DTEK now redirects its renewables investments to the EU. “ After investing about $1 billion in Ukraine wind and solar projects in the last three years, DTEK now redirects its renewables investments to the EU. “Today our investments in European countries are i...

Offering government bonds of 10 different tenors and two different currencies, the Finance Ministry raised the equivalent of $782 million yesterday Offering government bonds of 10 different tenors and two different currencies, the Finance Ministry raised the equivalent of $782 million yesterday at its weekly bond auction, the Ministry reports on ...

As foreign investors re-enter the government bond market, the hryvnia strengthens As foreign investors re-enter the government bond market, the hryvnia strengthens, write analysts from Alpari, Dragon and ICU. The dollar now buys 28 hryvnia, a rate little changed in nine months. ICU...

Datagroup, Ukraine’s leading fiber infrastructure and digital services provider, has agreed to buy 100% of Volia, Ukraine’s leading cable broadband service provider. Fully backed by Horizon Capital’s EEGF II fund, sole financial investor in Datagroup, the deal “is Datagroup, Ukraine’s leading fiber infrastructure and digital services provider, has agreed to buy 100% of Volia, Ukraine’s leading cable broadband service provider. Fully backed by Horizon Capital’s ...

Tuesday, December 22

The The government last night appointed Yuriy Vitrenko, the former Naftogaz executive, as acting Energy Minister and First Deputy Minister of Energy. Vitrenko replaces Olha Buslavets, who ran the Energy M...

More litigation with Russia and more openness to Western investment may emerge under Vitrenko. More litigation with Russia and more openness to Western investment may emerge under Vitrenko. Interspersed with stints at Naftogaz, Vitrenko worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Kyiv, Merrill Lynch ...

Yulia Kovaliv, a familiar face to foreign investors, Yulia Kovaliv, a familiar face to foreign investors, resigned yesterday as deputy chief of staff to President Zelenskiy. Kovaliv also headed the Office of the National Investment Council, an organizat...

The government also appointed Vadym Melnyk as head of the State Fiscal Service The government also appointed Vadym Melnyk as head of the State Fiscal Service. The previous fulltime head of the service, Serhiy Verlanov, was dismissed last April.

The Kyiv Economic Court accepted last week a lawsuit alleging that Roman Leshchenko The Kyiv Economic Court accepted last week a lawsuit alleging that Roman Leshchenko, Ukraine’s newly appointed Agriculture Minister, embezzled $430,000 from a Ukrainian farming company owned by Kurt J...

While the US government labors to determine damage done by cyber infiltrators, Ukraine’s government faces almost daily hacker attacks on its government resources and is strengthening its cyber security, While the US government labors to determine damage done by cyber infiltrators, Ukraine’s government faces almost daily hacker attacks on its government resources and is strengthening its cyber securit...

With Ukraine recording its first infection with new highly contagious coronavirus strain, the government decided last night not to suspend flights between Ukraine and Britain With Ukraine recording its first infection with new highly contagious coronavirus strain, the government decided last night not to suspend flights between Ukraine and Britain. First identified in Brit...

While France, Germany, Turkey and Poland stop flights from Britain While France, Germany, Turkey and Poland stop flights from Britain, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers decided not to suspend air traffic with the UK, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy wrote on hi...

Today, there is only one flight from Kyiv to Britain Today, there is only one flight from Kyiv to Britain: a Wizz Air flight from Sikorsky Airport to London Luton. Last week, UIA inaugurated flights between Boryspil and London Heathrow. At that time, UI...

With passenger flights unreliable, logistics company Meest China has started weekly cargo flights between Hong Kong and Boryspil With passenger flights unreliable, logistics company Meest China has started weekly cargo flights between Hong Kong and Boryspil. “Regular flights are canceled, delivery times are difficult to predict...

EU job offerings for Ukrainians have grown by 40% since coronavirus travel controls started to lift in June EU job offerings for Ukrainians have grown by 40% since coronavirus travel controls started to lift in June, reports Jooble, the Kyiv-based job search engine that aggregates international job postings...

Starting last Thursday, Wizz Air resumed flights from Kharkiv to all its German and Polish destinations. Starting last Thursday, Wizz Air resumed flights from Kharkiv to all its German and Polish destinations. Ukrainian tourists are not allowed to travel to Poland and Germany. With the exception of Ukrai...

A 150 km ring road around Kyiv and a 1.7 km suspension bridge over the Dnipro at Kremenchuk A 150 km ring road around Kyiv and a 1.7 km suspension bridge over the Dnipro at Kremenchuk are to stem from Cabinet of Ministers’ recent approval of an infrastructure agreement with China. “With this...

Aiming to cut road deaths by 30% by 2024, Aiming to cut road deaths by 30% by 2024, the government has approved spending $85 million in 2021 on the first year of an international highway safety program. The money will be spent on 400 illumina...

Ridership of the Kyiv Metro is down 40% yoy, to 250 million this year, Ridership of the Kyiv Metro is down 40% yoy, to 250 million this year, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko told reporters yesterday. Referring to the 2-month lockdown last spring, he said: “For the first tim...

Monday, December 21

European development banks are providing €900 million to rebuild the southern half of the Kyiv-Odesa highway and a 24 km northern bypass around Lviv, European development banks are providing €900 million to rebuild the southern half of the Kyiv-Odesa highway and a 24 km northern bypass around Lviv, reported the Infrastructure Ministry. “This projec...

Work is to start next year on the projects Work is to start next year on the projects which are both sections of the Trans-European Transport Network, or TEN-T. Of the money, two thirds goes to rebuilding 275 km of the Kyiv-Odesa highway, and ...

Ukraine plans to build by 2022 a EU-standard highway on the 72 km section of the M-10 between Lviv and the closest crossing with Poland, at Krakovets, Ukraine plans to build by 2022 a EU-standard highway on the 72 km section of the M-10 between Lviv and the closest crossing with Poland, at Krakovets, Ukravtodor’s Kubrakov tells Interfax-Ukraine. Thi...

Weekly container trains are to start rolling next year between the Baltic and the Black Seas, Weekly container trains are to start rolling next year between the Baltic and the Black Seas, Lukasz Greinke, President of Gdansk Port, tells The Maritime Executive, a Florida-based news site. Gdansk ...

Germany will spend €255 million to help Ukraine improve energy efficiency in schools, rebuild roads, and modernize its vocational education system Germany will spend €255 million to help Ukraine improve energy efficiency in schools, rebuild roads, and modernize its vocational education system, the Finance Ministry announces. The money will be a ...

Today, the IMF starts video link talks with Ukraine Today, the IMF starts video link talks with Ukraine, reviewing the $5 billion Stand-by Arrangement signed last June. Only one tranche of the 18-month deal has been delivered, also last June. Holding u...

Americans bought half of Ukraine’s $600 million Eurobond placement that settled Friday Americans bought half of Ukraine’s $600 million Eurobond placement that settled Friday, reported the Finance Ministry. The breakdown was: US –52%; UK – 37%; and EU – 10%. The breakdown of institutions...

Foreign holdings of Ukrainian government hryvnia bonds increased by 6.8% last week Foreign holdings of Ukrainian government hryvnia bonds increased by 6.8% last week as foreigners joined the government record auction of $1.8 billion in equivalent of bonds on December 15. After nine ...