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Wednesday, August 19

With Ukraine reporting record levels of new Covid-19 infections – about 1,600 a day for the last week With Ukraine reporting record levels of new Covid-19 infections – about 1,600 a day for the last week – Kyiv is mildly tightening restrictions this week. Everyone is to carry an ID on the street. Mask...

Schools will open as scheduled Sept. 1, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov promises. Schools will open as scheduled Sept. 1, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov promises. Online learning will be mandatory only in the nation’s ‘Red Zones.’ Currently these are three towns and five districts...

With local elections coming in two months With local elections coming in two months, politicians have no appetite for a return to the severe lockdown of last spring. Concorde Capital’s Zenon Zawada writes: “The Zelenskiy administration has la...

Orthodox Jewish pilgrims are asked to refrain from visiting Uman next month to celebrate Rosh Hashanah Orthodox Jewish pilgrims are asked to refrain from visiting Uman next month to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, “due to the threatening epidemiological situation,” according to a joint statement by Israel and...

Returning to the air after coronavirus travel curbs, UIA had to “ Returning to the air after coronavirus travel curbs, UIA had to “start practically from scratch,” to rebuild business, airline president Yevgeny Dykhne writes on Facebook. From mid-June to mid-August,...

Marta Kolomayets, American director of the Fulbright Program in Ukraine for seven years, died Sunday Marta Kolomayets, American director of the Fulbright Program in Ukraine for seven years, died Sunday at the age of 61 after a long illness. As the local head of Fulbright, she helped more than 300 Ukr...

Tuesday, August 18

For Ukraine, the biggest impact of strikes spreading across Belarus may be a shortage of asphalt for President Zelenskiy’s $3 billion drive to pave 4,000 km of highways this year. For Ukraine, the biggest impact of strikes spreading across Belarus may be a shortage of asphalt for President Zelenskiy’s $3 billion drive to pave 4,000 km of highways this year. Ukraine imports half...

Ukraine also gets about one third of its diesel and gasoline from Belarus Ukraine also gets about one third of its diesel and gasoline from Belarus. But the strikes and slowdowns will only result in a ‘hiccup’ for Ukrainian prices, Kuyun predicts. “First, we have been livin...

Most of Ukraine’s imports of Belarus petroleum products come from the Belarus’ largest refinery, in Mazyr Most of Ukraine’s imports of Belarus petroleum products come from the Belarus’ largest refinery, in Mazyr, on the Pripyat River, 250 km north of Kyiv. According to Argus Media, it appears that Mazyr w...

On the IT front, Ukrainian IT companies are “already accepting individual divisions of IT companies in Belarus as guests,” On the IT front, Ukrainian IT companies are “already accepting individual divisions of IT companies in Belarus as guests,” Olha Kunichak, manager of the European Business Association’s IT Committee te...

Belarus Eurobonds handed investors a loss of 5.1% this month, the worst performance in emerging markets, Belarus Eurobonds handed investors a loss of 5.1% this month, the worst performance in emerging markets, according to a Bloomberg Barclays index. Since the 2031 bonds were issued on June 25, the yield...

Ukraine is recalling its ambassador from Belarus to protest Lukashenko’s “repeated and groundless” statements against Ukraine Ukraine is recalling its ambassador from Belarus to protest Lukashenko’s “repeated and groundless” statements against Ukraine, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday. President Lukashen...

Leases for 4,262 empty buildings totaling 2.5 million square meters – or 10 times New York’s Empire State Building – will go up for electronic auction this fall Leases for 4,262 empty buildings totaling 2.5 million square meters – or 10 times New York’s Empire State Building – will go up for electronic auction this fall under streamlined rules approved last w...

Ukraine ranks first in a ranking of 39 Eastern European and developing countries for public procurement transparency. Ukraine ranks first in a ranking of 39 Eastern European and developing countries for public procurement transparency. Following 64 indicators for the Transparency Rating, the authors placed Ukraine at...

Ukraine’s Finance Ministry has repurchased about 10% of outstanding GDP-linked securities Ukraine’s Finance Ministry has repurchased about 10% of outstanding GDP-linked securities, the Finance Ministry announced Friday on the Irish Stock Exchange. Known as GDP warrants, the securities have...

Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy Concorde Capital’s Alexander Paraschiy calculates that the purchase was at 90% of par and writes: “This is also a good signal for the holders of GDP warrants, as it indicates MinFin is anticipating la...

Timothy Ash writes: Timothy Ash writes: “Now most official forecasts have a 4% plus growth for 2021.With the changes at the [central bank], the Zelenskiy administration is going for a pro-growth agenda, which might mean ...

In a sign the Corona-recession has eased, Ukraine’s electricity consumption in July was only 0.7% below last year’s level In a sign the Corona-recession has eased, Ukraine’s electricity consumption in July was only 0.7% below last year’s level, according to Ukrenergo, the nation’s state power transmission company. Indust...

The central bank expects to receive the second tranche from the IMF by the end of this year, The central bank expects to receive the second tranche from the IMF by the end of this year, Kyrylo Shevchenko, the new governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, says in an interview with RBK-Ukraina....

Last week, the central bank bought $223 million, strengthening the hryvnia mildly to UAH 27.3/$1. Last week, the central bank bought $223 million, strengthening the hryvnia mildly to UAH 27.3/$1. So far this year, the National Bank of Ukraine has bought $1 billion more than it sold, latest data sh...

Last year, Ukrainians made 26 million trips out of the country, while foreigners made 15 million trips here Last year, Ukrainians made 26 million trips out of the country, while foreigners made 15 million trips here, according to the State Statistics Service. Tourism accounts for only 1.5% of Ukraine’s GDP,...

Reminder: UIA is offering two direct Kyiv-New York-Kyiv flights Reminder: UIA is offering two direct Kyiv-New York-Kyiv flights – next Monday Aug. 24, and the following Monday, Aug. 31. No additional New York flights are scheduled. Tickets only are available throu...

Monday, August 17

“This will be the beginning of your end, you will go down on your knees like in Ukraine,” “This will be the beginning of your end, you will go down on your knees like in Ukraine,” Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko warned 40,000 supporters in Minsk Sunday, rebutting calls for his resig...

On Saturday, Lukashenko asked President Putin for Russia to intervene militarily On Saturday, Lukashenko asked President Putin for Russia to intervene militarily. But, according to the Kremlin readout of the call, Putin only promised to keep talking to the besieged 65-year-old lea...

Belarus is Ukraine’s fourth largest trading partner, largely a transit country for goods restricted by the Russia-Ukraine trade war. Belarus is Ukraine’s fourth largest trading partner, largely a transit country for goods restricted by the Russia-Ukraine trade war. Despite this close economic relationship, President Zelenskiy proba...

Eying Belarus’ dynamic IT industry, Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister posted an appeal to Belarus IT companies and specialists to relocate south of the border — to Ukraine. Eying Belarus’ dynamic IT industry, Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister posted an appeal to Belarus IT companies and specialists to relocate south of the border — to Ukraine. “Belarus has been g...

A near doubling of exports to China reduced Ukraine’s trade deficit to $1.3 billion for the first half of this year, A near doubling of exports to China reduced Ukraine’s trade deficit to $1.3 billion for the first half of this year, the lowest level in recent years. The State Statistics Service reports exports to C...

China’s purchase of ship parts and R&D services for aircraft engines made it the largest buyer of military equipment from UkrOboronProm during the first half of this year. China’s purchase of ship parts and R&D services for aircraft engines made it the largest buyer of military equipment from UkrOboronProm during the first half of this year. Of $145 million in sales...

China Railway Construction Corporation is talking with China Railway Construction Corporation is talking with Vadym Novinsky’s Smart Holding about building a deep water port at Ochakiv, a Black Sea port 60 km south of Mykolaiv city. A strategic chokepoint...

Given Ochakiv’s strategic location, facing Crimea 100 km to the south, US Navy Seabees built last year a $700,000 operations center at Ochakiv for Ukrainian Navy. Given Ochakiv’s strategic location, facing Crimea 100 km to the south, US Navy Seabees built last year a $700,000 operations center at Ochakiv for Ukrainian Navy. When construction was announced, Vlad...

Last month, CRCC, China’s second largest state-owned construction company, Last month, CRCC, China’s second largest state-owned construction company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s Infrastucture Ministry about modernizing Ukraine’s inland waterways. Thes...

Nibulon, the largest shipper on the Dnipro, is building a Black Sea port complex in Ochakiv and restoring the fish canning factory Nibulon, the largest shipper on the Dnipro, is building a Black Sea port complex in Ochakiv and restoring the fish canning factory. To supply the cannery with fish, crustaceans and mollusks from the D...

Fresh from announcing a deal with Chinese investors to take over Motor Sich, Ukraine’s jet engine factory, Alekander Yaroslavsky offers to raise $1 billion to revive the aviation plant in his home city of Kharkiv Fresh from announcing a deal with Chinese investors to take over Motor Sich, Ukraine’s jet engine factory, Alekander Yaroslavsky offers to raise $1 billion to revive the aviation plant in his home cit...

Today, flights resume between Kyiv and Yerevan, Armenia and between Kyiv and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Today, flights resume between Kyiv and Yerevan, Armenia and between Kyiv and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Air service to the two countries was suspended five months ago as part of the coronavirus travel restri...

Do the math Do the math: Ihor Kolomoisky’s Windrose airline is receiving its 14th aircraft, a leased ATR-72-600. Within a year, Windrose is to receive another five of these regional turboprops, bringing its fleet...

Friday, August 7

KMZ Industries, grain storage and processing equipment manufacturer, expects sales to increase by 60% yoy KMZ Industries, grain storage and processing equipment manufacturer, expects sales to increase by 60% yoy, the company tells Interfax-Ukraine. With 42 projects underway, Valery Kalashnik, company gene...

Sales of new commercial vehicles, a key indicator of business activity, were up 11% in July yoy. Sales of new commercial vehicles, a key indicator of business activity, were up 11% in July yoy. The July figure of 1,163 was 53% higher than June, reports Ukravtoprom.

Planning to build 2,900 km of cement roads by 2025 Planning to build 2,900 km of cement roads by 2025, Oleksandr Kubrakov, head of Ukravtodor argues: “Concrete roads should be cheaper in Ukraine because we import 60% of bitumen, but cement is domestic...

The US Justice Department moved yesterday to seize commercial properties in Kentucky and Texas from Igor Kolomoisky and his business partner, Gennadiy Boholyubov The US Justice Department moved yesterday to seize commercial properties in Kentucky and Texas from Igor Kolomoisky and his business partner, Gennadiy Boholyubov, reports The Washington Post. In a civ...

The civil asset forfeiture cases seek to seize a 19.5-acre office park in Dallas and the PNC Plaza building in Louisville, Kentucky. The civil asset forfeiture cases seek to seize a 19.5-acre office park in Dallas and the PNC Plaza building in Louisville, Kentucky. The Justice Department alleges that Kolomoisky and Boholyubov used ...

Separately, U.S. attorney’s office in Cleveland is investigating Kolomoisky for possible money laundering. Separately, U.S. attorney’s office in Cleveland is investigating Kolomoisky for possible money laundering. As a part of that case, the FBI raided on Tuesday two Kolomoisky offices in the US, one in Cl...

Timothy Ash ties the US Government moves this week to the removal last month of the 2014-2019 bank clean up team from National Bank of Ukraine: Timothy Ash ties the US Government moves this week to the removal last month of the 2014-2019 bank clean up team from National Bank of Ukraine: “The USG looks like it has seen enough in terms of risks...

Norway’s NBT plans to invest €1.6 billion in Ukraine over the next year Norway’s NBT plans to invest €1.6 billion in Ukraine over the next year, Joar Viken, the company CEO, told President Zelenskiy yesterday. NBT is investing €1.2 billion to build Zophia, an 800 MW wind ...

China Gezhouba Group Corporation is interested in building hydro projects in Ukraine China Gezhouba Group Corporation is interested in building hydro projects in Ukraine, Ukraine’s Ambassador to China, Serhiy Kamyshev said after meeting the company’s chairman Lyu Zexiang. The contract...

In the wake of the massive ammonium nitrate explosion in the port of Beirut, Ukraine, a major importer and consumer of fertilizers, is to tighten up its handling of this potentially hazardous product In the wake of the massive ammonium nitrate explosion in the port of Beirut, Ukraine, a major importer and consumer of fertilizers, is to tighten up its handling of this potentially hazardous product....

Andrey Stavnitser, CEO of TIS, a major Odesa region port terminal, said his father, Aleksey, stopped handling ammonium nitrate in 2008 for safety reasons. Andrey Stavnitser, CEO of TIS, a major Odesa region port terminal, said his father, Aleksey, stopped handling ammonium nitrate in 2008 for safety reasons. Andrey Stavnitser wrote on Facebook that TIS ...

Ukraine’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producer, Dmytro Firtash’s Ostchem Holding, released a statement yesterday saying the company follows “international standards” for safety and production. Ukraine’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producer, Dmytro Firtash’s Ostchem Holding, released a statement yesterday saying the company follows “international standards” for safety and production. “Import...

Renaisco BV, a Dutch subsidiary of Glencore International, has won Ukrainian government permission to acquire a majority stake in Avery, one of Ukraine’s leading vegetable oil exporting complexes Renaisco BV, a Dutch subsidiary of Glencore International, has won Ukrainian government permission to acquire a majority stake in Avery, one of Ukraine’s leading vegetable oil exporting complexes. Own...

South Korea’s export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, is providing $36 million in financing South Korea’s export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, is providing $36 million in financing to a joint venture between Posco International, Korea’s largest trading company, and OR...

Over the last decade, 14 million tons of simultaneous storage capacities have been commissioned in Ukraine, raising the total to 51 million tons, about half of this year’s forecast crop. Over the last decade, 14 million tons of simultaneous storage capacities have been commissioned in Ukraine, raising the total to 51 million tons, about half of this year’s forecast crop. About one thi...