ukraine

Friday, February 26

The maintenance contract with Pakistan was signed at IDEX-2021, The maintenance contract with Pakistan was signed at IDEX-2021, the week-long international arms exhibition that ended yesterday in Abu Dhabi. “The Ukrainian delegation reached a number of preliminary...

Ukraine accuses Russian hackers of trying to disseminate malicious documents through a web-based system on which government documents are circulated. Ukraine accuses Russian hackers of trying to disseminate malicious documents through a web-based system on which government documents are circulated. The aim was to contaminate information resources o...

At least 1,000 highly skilled engineers would have been required to develop the code that hijacked widely used network software from US-based SolarWinds to deploy malware around the world, Microsoft President Brad Smith told the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington Tuesday. Smith said: “We’ve seen substantial evidence that points to the Russian foreign intelligence agency, and we...

Ukrainians spend $4.2 billion on imports of new and used vehicles last year Ukrainians spend $4.2 billion on imports of new and used vehicles last year, reports Ukravtoprom, the car industry association. Car imports were down by 11%, to 486,300, or $3.5 billion. Almost 100,00...

Wednesday, February 17

DiDi will compete with Bolt, Uber and Uklon for Ukraine’s taxi market, estimated by Uklon at $800 million a year. DiDi will compete with Bolt, Uber and Uklon for Ukraine’s taxi market, estimated by Uklon at $800 million a year. Uber, the first mover in Ukraine, now operates in seven Ukrainian cities and claims th...

Taxi services got a boost yesterday when the Rada overwhelmingly approved a bill raising the penalty for drunk driving to $608 Taxi services got a boost yesterday when the Rada overwhelmingly approved a bill raising the penalty for drunk driving to $608. For repeat offenders, the fine is doubled to $1,216, licenses are suspen...

McDonald’s Ukraine plans to expand a pilot program of restaurant waste recycling to all 96 restaurants in the country by the end of this year McDonald’s Ukraine plans to expand a pilot program of restaurant waste recycling to all 96 restaurants in the country by the end of this year, the company announced yesterday. As part of a world...

Kyiv’s 11th Regus office work space opens in Podil next month Kyiv’s 11th Regus office work space opens in Podil next month, reports the parent company, Luxembourg-based IWG Plc. Despite last year’s economic recession, total occupancy of the 10 existing Regus wo...

Kyiv’s Sikorsky Airport is to add 500 meters to its runway, allowing Wizz Air, its primary user, to use larger jets. Kyiv’s Sikorsky Airport is to add 500 meters to its runway, allowing Wizz Air, its primary user, to use larger jets. By moving to Airbus 321 jets, Wizz Air says it can reduce frequencies and noise in ...

Mayor Klitschko signed an order last week for design work to start on a 5-year upgrade of the airport Mayor Klitschko signed an order last week for design work to start on a 5-year upgrade of the airport. By expanding the runway to 2,810 meters, upgrading lights and adding an instrument landing system...

German and Biden Administration officials are discussing a package of measures that would allow the Russia-German gas line to open, but protect Ukraine’s security concerns German and Biden Administration officials are discussing a package of measures that would allow the Russia-German gas line to open, but protect Ukraine’s security concerns, according to a Financial Ti...

“As Berlin seeks solutions, early signs from Washington indicate that the Biden administration is seeking to defuse the Nord Stream 2 debate,” “As Berlin seeks solutions, early signs from Washington indicate that the Biden administration is seeking to defuse the Nord Stream 2 debate,” the FT writes. “Two knowledgeable sources said [US Secret...

A cold weather spike in electricity consumption, a lack of coal, and power plant breakdowns are forcing Eastern Ukraine to import electricity A cold weather spike in electricity consumption, a lack of coal, and power plant breakdowns are forcing Eastern Ukraine to import electricity from Belarus and Russia and Western Ukraine to import elec...

Electricity consumption last week was 6.5% more than forecast Electricity consumption last week was 6.5% more than forecast. But coal reserves fell to one third of required minimums. Thanks to imports, Kudrytskyi does not predict immediate power shortages.

DTEK Group, Ukraine’s largest private power producer DTEK Group, Ukraine’s largest private power producer, called on the government yesterday “to abolish price caps, which are an obstacle to the liberalization of the electricity market.” The company cit...

Ukraine’s Energoatom will soon stop sending spent nuclear fuel to Russia for processing and storage Ukraine’s Energoatom will soon stop sending spent nuclear fuel to Russia for processing and storage, Petro Kotin, the company head, said yesterday. In July, the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility...

With demand strong for Ukrainian government bonds, the Finance Ministry depressed yields on all five hryvnia bonds sold at yesterday’s auction With demand strong for Ukrainian government bonds, the Finance Ministry depressed yields on all five hryvnia bonds sold at yesterday’s auction, the Ministry reported. With yields dropping from six to ...

Looking beyond the bland public statements surrounding Ukraine’s recent suspension of talks with the IMF, Looking beyond the bland public statements surrounding Ukraine’s recent suspension of talks with the IMF, Anders Aslund, a veteran IMF observer, writes in an Atlantic Council blog: “No agreement was c...

DiDi, China’s giant online taxi service, plans to launch this year in Ukraine, reports AIN.ua news site. With 550 million users DiDi, China’s giant online taxi service, plans to launch this year in Ukraine, reports AIN.ua news site. With 550 million users, tens of millions of users and billions of dollars in revenues, DiDi ent...

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...

Tuesday, December 29

Since freight service started in June 2020, 22 Chinese container trains have arrived at Kyiv-Liski Left Bank station Since freight service started in June 2020, 22 Chinese container trains have arrived at Kyiv-Liski Left Bank station, reports Ukrzaliznytsia. The trains take about two weeks to travel 9,000 km from Ch...

Ukrzaliznytsia is forcing the first private freight operator on UZ tracks to charge haulage tariffs seven times those of the state railroad, Ukrzaliznytsia is forcing the first private freight operator on UZ tracks to charge haulage tariffs seven times those of the state railroad, reported RBK Ukraina. Earlier this month, UZ signed the fir...

To take tractor-trailer trucks off the roads, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to offer shippers the option of sending semi-trailers to the EU on flatbed wagons To take tractor-trailer trucks off the roads, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to offer shippers the option of sending semi-trailers to the EU on flatbed wagons, Volodymyr Zhmak, the railroad’s CEO, tells Mintran...

Five or six “large domestic and foreign investors are ready to participate” in leasing some of Ukraine’s busiest rail stations Five or six “large domestic and foreign investors are ready to participate” in leasing some of Ukraine’s busiest rail stations, Alexander Pertsovsky, head of UZ’s ‘Passenger Company,’ tells Mintrans. ...

Thefts of parts from private company wagons in UZ workshops has become so bad that Lemtrans has started painting its removable parts a signature lemon yellow Thefts of parts from private company wagons in UZ workshops has become so bad that Lemtrans has started painting its removable parts a signature lemon yellow, reported Rail.Insider. Lemtrans, the owne...

VR Capital, the London-based emerging markets hedge fund, is pursuing litigation against Ukrzaliznytsia over a $300 million package of defaulted loans VR Capital, the London-based emerging markets hedge fund, is pursuing litigation against Ukrzaliznytsia over a $300 million package of defaulted loans that VR acquired two years ago at auction from Ru...

In the first quarter of 2021, DTEK Energy will launch Ukraine’s first industrial-scale energy storage system project In the first quarter of 2021, DTEK Energy will launch Ukraine’s first industrial-scale energy storage system project, DTEK CEO Maksym Timchenko announced last week. US company Honeywell is build...

With demand high for lithium for batteries, Gosgeonadr, the state Geology Service, is trying to conduct a public, online auction of two deposits With demand high for lithium for batteries, Gosgeonadr, the state Geology Service, is trying to conduct a public, online auction of two deposits – a 40-hectare site in Donetsk region and a 300-hectare...

The Prosecutor General’s Office yesterday charged Oleksandr Tupytsky The Prosecutor General’s Office yesterday charged Oleksandr Tupytsky, chairman of the Constitutional Court, with bribing a witness to make him give false testimony. The charge comes one week after Rad...

The Cabinet of Ministers approved yesterday seven production-sharing agreements with private and state companies for the production of oil and gas. The Cabinet of Ministers approved yesterday seven production-sharing agreements with private and state companies for the production of oil and gas. Only one foreign company is involved – Houston-based...

Ukraine’s biggest ski resort Bukovel is fully booked through the New Year’s holidays Ukraine’s biggest ski resort Bukovel is fully booked through the New Year’s holidays, Reuters reports from the Carpathians. With EU skis closed or inaccessible to Ukrainian tourists, Bukovel is jammed...

Ukraine faces a second year of high foreign debt payments in 2021– $16.1 billion. Ukraine faces a second year of high foreign debt payments in 2021– $16.1 billion. This is almost double the payments expected for 2022 – $8.6 billion – and $8.9 billion in 2023, the ...

AVELLUM law firm is emerging as Ukraine’s leading advisor on Eurobond issuances, advising on $1.2 billion worth of bonds AVELLUM law firm is emerging as Ukraine’s leading advisor on Eurobond issuances, advising on $1.2 billion worth of bonds in the second half of 2020. They were: Kernel’s $300 million offering of 2027 n...

Wednesday, December 9

With snow forecast for much of Ukraine tomorrow, 99% of the 2021 harvest is in With snow forecast for much of Ukraine tomorrow, 99% of the 2021 harvest is in, reported the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Agriculture. Harvested from 24 million hectares, an expanse the size of Brit...

Measured in volume, grain exports are down by 14% — to 20 million tons Measured in volume, grain exports are down by 14% — to 20 million tons — since the marketing year started July 1. Corn exports are down 26% yoy, to 6 million tons. Wheat exports are down 11.5%, to 12 ...

World prices are boosting Ukraine’s earnings from the export of food, the nation’s biggest foreign currency earner. World prices are boosting Ukraine’s earnings from the export of food, the nation’s biggest foreign currency earner. World food prices rose in October and November, hitting their highest levels in six ...

Capital investment in farming dropped by 43% during the first three quarters, to just below $1 billion Capital investment in farming dropped by 43% during the first three quarters, to just below $1 billion, reported the Institute of Agrarian Economics. Citing State Statistics Data, the Institute notes ...

The Finance Ministry raised all its hryvnia bond yields above 10% yesterday and succeeded in selling six times more paper than one week earlier. The Finance Ministry raised all its hryvnia bond yields above 10% yesterday and succeeded in selling six times more paper than one week earlier. At yesterday’s auction, hryvnia bond yields went up by ...

Of the $560 million raised, about one third was from the sale of 1-year dollar bonds, which carried an average weighted yield of 3.79%. Of the $560 million raised, about one third was from the sale of 1-year dollar bonds, which carried an average weighted yield of 3.79%. By contrast, 1-year hryvnia bonds carried a yield of 11.22% With...