Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukraine is gradually adopting European standards in construction – expert

Since 2023, Ukraine has had a law adapting EU Regulation 305 and raising the requirements for the quality of building materials. The transition to the new standards will last until 2026, Andriy Ozeychuk, director of Rauta, said in an article for Interfax-Ukraine.

The document also requires the introduction of energy efficiency, certification, and increased responsibility for the declared characteristics of products.

Rauta is a leader in the Ukrainian steel construction market and a member of the European Construction Industry Association. The company provides design, manufacturing, and installation solutions in accordance with current EU regulations. The company is licensed to perform construction works with medium and significant consequences (CC2, CC3). According to the Unified State Register, the owner of 100% of the company’s authorized capital is Andriy Ozeychuk.

 

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EU reduced imports of Ukrainian rapeseed – volume fell to 2.8 mln tons

Ukraine exported 3.14 mln tonnes of rapeseed in the season-2024/25 (July 2024 – June 2025, marketing year, MY), down 15% compared to the previous marketing year and the lowest for the last three seasons, APK-Inform news agency reported.

The main reason for the decline, analysts said, was the decline in the oilseed harvest in Ukraine for several years in a row.

The experts pointed out that almost 89% of the total exports of rapeseed were to the European Union (91% in 2023/24 MY), or 2.78 mln tonnes, down 17% compared to 2024/25 MY. In terms of countries, the top three importers of Ukrainian rapeseed were Germany with the volume of over 1 mln tonnes (-18%), Belgium – 899 thsd tonnes (up 2.4 times), and the UK – 334 thsd tonnes (up 2.5 times).

“In the new season-2025/26, the downward trend of rapeseed exports is likely to continue, due to the expected minimum harvest of the crop in the last 4 years, as well as the possible introduction of the export duty for the oilseed, which is currently actively lobbied,” – the analysts said.

APK-Inform forecasts that in 2025/26 MY the exports of rapeseed from Ukraine will decrease by another 15%, to 2.7 mln tonnes.

 

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“Agrane” harvested winter crops on 19 thou hectares in Odesa region

Agrane Agro Holding has completed the harvest of winter grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season on 19 thou hectares in Odesa region, the company’s press service reports.

The agricultural holding specified that it harvested winter wheat from an area of over 6 thou hectares, winter rapeseed from over 7 thou hectares, winter barley from over 4 thou hectares, and winter peas from over 1 thou hectares.

Agrane harvested the crops using modern high-performance machinery, which minimized crop losses, accelerated the pace of work, and maintained high grain quality. The yields for most crops met the targets and in some places even exceeded them, the report says.

It is specified that currently the entire harvest is delivered to Agrane elevators, where it undergoes multi-level quality control and, if necessary, is dried before storage.

“It is crucial for us not only to organize a fast and well-coordinated harvesting process, but also to ensure that the crops remain of high quality. We carefully plan each stage of the campaign – from monitoring crop maturation to logistics and preparing the infrastructure for grain storage,” said Taras Kornienko, Chief Agronomist of Agrane Group.

“Agrain is engaged in the cultivation and storage of grains and oilseeds, as well as livestock farming. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, the agricultural holding included 11 agricultural enterprises. It cultivated about 110,000 hectares in Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Cherkasy regions.

The holding is owned by SAS Investcompagnie (France).

 

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Staff shortage in construction makes companies reconsider approaches to personnel – Rauta

Ukrainian construction companies are experiencing a steady staff shortage, with some vacancies remaining open for up to six months, Rauta CEO Andriy Ozeychuk said in an op-ed for Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, in 2022-2024, wages in the industry grew by about 20% annually.

Companies are increasingly attracting women and older people, and are also considering hiring workers from Asia.

Rauta is a leader in the Ukrainian steel construction market and a member of the European Construction Industry Association. The company provides design, production, and installation solutions in accordance with current EU regulations. The company is licensed to perform construction works with medium and significant consequences (CC2, CC3). According to the Unified State Register, the owner of 100% of the company’s authorized capital is Andriy Ozeychuk.

 

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“Kovalska” to start construction of NUVO business center in Kyiv in 2026

Kovalska Industrial and Construction Group (Kovalska) plans to start construction of the NUVO business center at 47 Zhylianska Street in Kyiv in 2026, the group’s CEO Serhiy Pylypenko said in an interview with LIGA.net.

“We plan to launch the project on the market approximately next year. The concept has been improved, but remains the same: mixed-use office space with some apartments, a hotel. We plan to start construction work in 2026,” said Pylypenko.

He noted that the company has finalized the project and increased its share from 50% to 100%, becoming the sole customer of the construction. Previously, KDD Ukraine was involved in the project.

As reported, in February 2023, Kovalska Group received permission to build the NUVO business park in the center of Kyiv. Earlier, in 2020, the group received permission from the Antimonopoly Committee to buy a 2-hectare land plot at 47 Zhylianska Street in the capital to build a business park.

MVRDV designed two Class A office buildings with a total area of 42 thousand square meters and a height of 18 and 11 floors. Orange Architects designed a 36 thousand square meter building designed to accommodate flexible offices, commercial and cultural spaces on the lower floors, and a hotel and residential space on the upper floors. The design of the complex also takes into account the light rail line on Zhylianska Street.

Kovalska ICG has been operating in the Ukrainian construction market since 1956. It unites more than 20 enterprises in the field of raw materials extraction, production and construction. Its products are represented by the brands Concrete by Kovalska, Avenue, and Siltek. Kovalska’s enterprises operate in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Lviv, and Chernihiv regions. The aerated concrete plant in Kherson region has not been operating since the beginning of the occupation.

The group also includes Kovalska Real Estate, which is engaged in the construction of residential properties in Kyiv. Its portfolio includes more than 20 completed residential projects.

 

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Net purchase of foreign currency by households increased to $280 mln in June – NBU

The volume of foreign currency purchases by the Ukrainian population in June 2025 exceeded the volume of its sales by $0.28 billion in dollar terms, compared to $0.25 billion in May this year and $0.97 billion in June last year.

According to the NBU’s website, compared to May, cash purchases increased by $11.6 million to $1 billion 796.1 million, while sales decreased by $30.2 million to $1 billion 474.2 million.

The NBU clarified that in June, households bought $1 billion 158.3 million less in cash than in May, and sold $1 billion 114.7 million less, down $56.5 million.

At the same time, household purchases of cash euros increased by $62.5 million in dollar terms in June, to $577.2 million, while sales increased by only $6.2 million, to $301.2 million.

As for non-cash foreign currency, in June, purchases by households decreased by $11.0 million to $307.5 million, while sales increased by $3.4 million to $347.3 million, which increased the positive balance in this market to $39.7 million.

As for bank clients’ transactions with non-cash foreign currency, both purchases and sales decreased in June compared to May: purchases fell by $181.9 million to $8 billion 371.3 million, while sales decreased by $244.8 million to $6 billion 349.8 million.

Interbank transactions in June increased by $221.8 million to $6 billion 255.2 million compared to May.

Compared to June 2024, purchases of non-cash foreign currency by bank customers increased by $175.6 million, while sales decreased by $411.2 million. At the same time, transactions between banks increased by $614.0 million.

In the cash foreign exchange market, the hryvnia exchange rate did not change significantly in June compared to May, and the official hryvnia exchange rate weakened by only 11 kopecks to 41.64 UAH/$1. June was characterized by very close values of the cash and non-cash exchange rates, and on some days the dollar was cheaper on the cash market.

At the same time, due to the dollar’s decline on the global currency market, the euro appreciated significantly again in June in Ukraine, for example, by UAH 1.98 to UAH 48.78/EUR1 at the official exchange rate.

In June, the National Bank’s net foreign exchange interventions increased to $2.961 billion from $2.923 billion in May this year, but this is slightly less than $2.986 billion in June last year.