Ukrainenews

Tuesday, March 2

Ukrposhta, the national postal operator, starts this week a partnership with OLX, one of Ukraine’s largest online market places. Ukrposhta, the national postal operator, starts this week a partnership with OLX, one of Ukraine’s largest online market places. Last year, Dutch-domiciled OLX nearly doubled its deliveries in Ukraine...

Non-cash payments grew last year to 55%, more than double the level of 25% recorded in 2014 Non-cash payments grew last year to 55%, more than double the level of 25% recorded in 2014, reports the European Business Association. The total volume of e-money transactions increased by 15% last y...

Offering a boost to residential construction, the first two mortgages were signed yesterday under a new state Offering a boost to residential construction, the first two mortgages were signed yesterday under a new state program “Affordable Mortgage at 7%.” The 20-year mortgages are reserved for apartments or ...

“We will work to ensure that housing loans at 7% are truly accessible to all in Ukraine,” “We will work to ensure that housing loans at 7% are truly accessible to all in Ukraine,” President Zelenskiy vowed at the mortgage signing ceremony. Seven banks are participating in the program: Priv...

French and Italian railroad station operators are among the eight companies that are seriously interested in running Ukrainian rail stations on a concession basis French and Italian railroad station operators are among the eight companies that are seriously interested in running Ukrainian rail stations on a concession basis, Alexander Pertsovsky, director of Uk...

Hotel Lviv, Grand Hotel Lviv and Gagarinn Hotel in Odesa’s Arcadia district have been granted premises permits, a first step toward winning a casino license Hotel Lviv, Grand Hotel Lviv and Gagarinn Hotel in Odesa’s Arcadia district have been granted premises permits, a first step toward winning a casino license, reports Deadlinenews, a Scottish site. Wit...

In a ray of hope for Ukraine’s beleaguered wind power sector In a ray of hope for Ukraine’s beleaguered wind power sector, DTEK Renewables and Denmark’s Vestas have signed a joint venture agreement to build 126 MW of wind power capacity in Mykolaiv. To pay for ...

Lufthansa launches flights between Lviv and Frankfurt am Main on April 30. Lufthansa launches flights between Lviv and Frankfurt am Main on April 30. Germany’s largest airline already flies between Lviv and Munich. Ryanair flies from Lviv to Memmingen and to Weeze. Wizz Air ...

Rising on the Tylihul estuary, 80 km southwest of Mykolaiv city, the DTEK/Vestas turbines will be the tallest post-Independence structures in Ukraine. Rising on the Tylihul estuary, 80 km southwest of Mykolaiv city, the DTEK/Vestas turbines will be the tallest post-Independence structures in Ukraine. The blades will measure 162 meters from tip to ti...

The Tiligulska wind power project is designed to be scaled up to 5 The Tiligulska wind power project is designed to be scaled up to 564 MW. But, for this to happen Maris Kunitskis, CEO of DTEK Renewables, says: “We expect that the crisis related to non-payments for t...

With wind and solar executives desperately renegotiating bank loans and talking to lawyers about international arbitration With wind and solar executives desperately renegotiating bank loans and talking to lawyers about international arbitration, the most visible sign of Ukraine’s crisis came in January when Norway’s Aker...

By contrast, Europe installed By contrast, Europe installed 14.7 GW of new wind capacity last year. Wind farm generation covered 16.4% of electricity consumption in Europe, reports WindEurope.

Despite lower rates and uncertainty over payments, several wind projects are advancing in Ukraine: Despite lower rates and uncertainty over payments, several wind projects are advancing in Ukraine:

Two US-originated companies Two US-originated companies, VR Capital Group’s Elementum Energy and Peter Gish’s Ukraine Power Resources plan to inaugurate this spring a 40 MW wind farm in Starokozache, on the Dnister estuary, 75 k...

Turkey’s Atlas Global Energy plans to build a 16 turbine, 60 MW wind farm in a Carpathian mountain valley Turkey’s Atlas Global Energy plans to build a 16 turbine, 60 MW wind farm in a Carpathian mountain valley near the Beskidy railroad tunnel, reports Daily Lviv. The tracks through the newly rebuilt, 1....

France’s Eurocape New Energy has commissioned a 98 MW wind farm France’s Eurocape New Energy has commissioned a 98 MW wind farm in the Priazovsky district of Zaporizhia. The plant, Eurocape 1, has 27 GE tubines, each with a capacity of 3.6 MW. Originally planned t...

Wednesday, January 27

Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy wrote Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy wrote: “The Fund will demand the full restoration of the recently damaged anti-corruption infrastructure. Therefore, the lb.ua allegations are in line with our a...

The Finance Ministry lowered yields on three of four-hryvnia Government Bonds it offered at auction yesterday The Finance Ministry lowered yields on three of four-hryvnia Government Bonds it offered at auction yesterday, the Ministry reported on Facebook. By squeezing the supply of 6-month bonds, it lowered t...

The Finance Ministry sold last year the equivalent of $13.6 billion worth of bonds The Finance Ministry sold last year the equivalent of $13.6 billion worth of bonds, reports the Ministry. About one third of the bonds were in foreign currency — $3.8 billion and €800 million. S...

With Argentina and Russia moving next month to curb corn exports, Ukraine is meeting domestic consumers half way, imposing an export quota of 24 million tons With Argentina and Russia moving next month to curb corn exports, Ukraine is meeting domestic consumers half way, imposing an export quota of 24 million tons, 8% higher than what pig and poultry produ...

Ukraine’s food exports to the EU slipped by 11% last year, to €6.5 billion Ukraine’s food exports to the EU slipped by 11% last year, to €6.5 billion, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club reports on Facebook. Ukraine was tied with China as the third largest source of imported foo...

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary recruit heavily for Ukrzaliznytsia’s railway workers, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary recruit heavily for Ukrzaliznytsia’s railway workers, leading to a growing labor shortage here, reports the Center for Transportation Strategies. “There are a huge number ...

“Dmitri lokfuhrer,” or Dmitri, the locomotive engineer, is the poster boy for “Dmitri lokfuhrer,” or Dmitri, the locomotive engineer, is the poster boy for Deutsche Bahn’s new Ukrainian language recruiting advertisement for Ukrainian train drivers. Featuring a video of Dmitri d...

In a symbolic step toward privatizing Ukraine’s state-dominated banking sector, In a symbolic step toward privatizing Ukraine’s state-dominated banking sector, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation is extending a €30 million euro loan to state-owned Ukrgasbank, which...

“Ukrgasbank will be Ukraine’s first state-owned bank to go private,” “Ukrgasbank will be Ukraine’s first state-owned bank to go private,” the National Bank of Ukraine said in a press release. “The new €30mn loan lays the groundwork for the bank’s transformation.” Kyryl...

Concorde Capital’s Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy writes: “Taking into account that Ukrgazbank was best-prepared for an international financial institution entering into its equity, and that the negotiation proc...

The IMF has raised its world GDP growth forecast to 5.5% for this year The IMF has raised its world GDP growth forecast to 5.5% for this year, according to its World Economic Outlook Update released yesterday. Growth is predicated on aggressive and successful global vacc...

Ukraine wants to extend its $5.2 billion IMF loan program by another six months, to June 2022, Ukraine wants to extend its $5.2 billion IMF loan program by another six months, to June 2022, reports LB.ua. Approved last June, the program was designed to release the money in five tranches through...

Thursday, January 21

With unpaid debts to solar and wind power producers tarnishing Ukraine’s investment image, With unpaid debts to solar and wind power producers tarnishing Ukraine’s investment image, Prime Minister Shmygal yesterday instructed his government to prepare ‘green bonds’ to repay the debt. He tol...

On Monday, energy regulators decided on a 50:50 split on a $360 million loan from state banks to Ukrenergo On Monday, energy regulators decided on a 50:50 split on a $360 million loan from state banks to Ukrenergo, the state power transmission operator. Coming from Ukreximbank, Oschadbank and Ukrgasbank, h...

Europe’s Green Deal is part of a global trend that Ukraine can only ignore at its peril, Europe’s Green Deal is part of a global trend that Ukraine can only ignore at its peril, acting Energy Ministry Yuriy Vitrenko warned in an essay posted on his ministry’s website. If Ukraine drags its...

In Washington yesterday evening, President Biden signed an executive order allowing the United States to rejoin the 2016 Paris Agreement In Washington yesterday evening, President Biden signed an executive order allowing the United States to rejoin the 2016 Paris Agreement. The agreement sets goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions to sl...

President Zelenskiy invited President Biden to Kyiv, a city he visited five times as Vice President. President Zelenskiy invited President Biden to Kyiv, a city he visited five times as Vice President. “Watching the inauguration of the new U.S. President,” Ukraine’s President tweeted yesterday. “I wi...

Ukraine wants to be a major producer and supplier of hydrogen to the EU Ukraine wants to be a major producer and supplier of hydrogen to the EU, largely by using its existing east-west gas pipeline system, Prime Minister Shmygal told an interdepartmental group on coordina...

Ukraine should adopt fair, free, and clear market rules to take advantage of the growing investment boom in renewables, Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, Ukraine should adopt fair, free, and clear market rules to take advantage of the growing investment boom in renewables, Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, wrote Monday in a World Economic Forum essay title...

Ukraine’s February 1 re-imposition of price controls on gas “ Ukraine’s February 1 re-imposition of price controls on gas “can be called a big step backwards,” warns Janez Kopač, a Slovenian politician who directs the Energy Community Secretariat, the organizati...

Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Faces Fresh Setbacks Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Faces Fresh Setbacks, headlines Bloomberg. The US placed sanctions Tuesday on the Russian pipeline vessel. At the Senate, Antony Blinken, President Biden’s nominee for...

Ukraine is preparing to introduce ‘passports’ attesting to vaccinations against Covid-19 Ukraine is preparing to introduce ‘passports’ attesting to vaccinations against Covid-19, Viktor Liashko, Ukraine’s chief sanitary doctor, tells Ukraina 24 TV. Everyone who is vaccinated will be regis...

About half of Ukrainians say they will not take a coronavirus vaccine even if it is free About half of Ukrainians say they will not take a coronavirus vaccine even if it is free. Rating polling group found that 52% of 1,600 adults interviewed last week would turn down a free vaccination. ...

The EBRD The EBRD invested nearly $1 billion in Ukraine last year, making Ukraine the third largest recipient of funds, after Turkey and Egypt. The development bank makes loans in 38 countries. “We are particu...

Highlights are: Highlights are:

Thursday, January 7

Alfa-Bank Ukraine’s Oleksiy Blinov wrote: “ Alfa-Bank Ukraine’s Oleksiy Blinov wrote: “This strong increase was delivered via massive FX debt placements by the Ministry of Finance. Overall, MinFin borrowed a net of $2.6 billion in December.”...

In the first government bond auction of the new year, the Finance Ministry raised the equivalent of $308 million — 37% of the amount raised the week before In the first government bond auction of the new year, the Finance Ministry raised the equivalent of $308 million — 37% of the amount raised the week before. Choosing among four hryvnia bonds – 3...

Concorde Capital’s Evgeniya Akhtyrko writes: Concorde Capital’s Evgeniya Akhtyrko writes: “The drop in auction receipts after the record-high results of December is not surprising. Nonetheless, UAH 9 billion in receipts is quite a strong result ...

Dragon Capital writes: Dragon Capital writes: “With the 2021 budget’s deficit target set at 5.5% of GDP, government borrowing needs will remain high this year, keeping it reliant on cooperation with the IMF.”

Ukraine’s 16-day lockdown of restaurants and shopping malls starts tomorrow Ukraine’s 16-day lockdown of restaurants and shopping malls starts tomorrow. Confirmed new coronavirus cases totaled 6,911 yesterday morning – one half the daily average of one month ago. In light of ...

In face of business pressure to soften or shorten the lockdown In face of business pressure to soften or shorten the lockdown, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told reporters yesterday: “The Health Ministry is against the postponement of the quarantine, against it...

In 2020, 20 Ukrainian films backed by the State Film Agency are now screening in cinemas, and 92 new film projects were launched In 2020, 20 Ukrainian films backed by the State Film Agency are now screening in cinemas, and 92 new film projects were launched, Oleksandr Tkachenko, Culture and Information Policy Minister, told rep...

French President Emmanuel Macron is one of a string of Western leaders expected to visit Ukraine this year French President Emmanuel Macron is one of a string of Western leaders expected to visit Ukraine this year. Next Tuesday, Moldova’s new, pro-EU President Maia Sandu will visit Kyiv, the first such vis...

Odesa region’s Pivdennyi port consolidated its position as Ukraine’s premier sea port last year, increasing cargo by 14.5% yoy, and accounting for 39% for all of Ukraine’s waterborne trade. Odesa region’s Pivdennyi port consolidated its position as Ukraine’s premier sea port last year, increasing cargo by 14.5% yoy, and accounting for 39% for all of Ukraine’s waterborne trade. Ukraine’s ...