The board of directors of Astarta, Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, has approved a decision to start construction of an oilseeds processing plant, including soybeans and rapeseed, in Khmelnytsky region, in which it will invest $76 million, the company’s press service reports on Facebook.
According to the report, the planned capacity will be 400 thousand tons per year. It is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026.
“Astarta continues to strengthen its position in the processing sector by investing in new production facilities. The growing demand for soybean products in the EU opens up new opportunities, and we are ready to realize them using our experience and expertise.
The new oilseed processing plant will allow us to expand the range of ingredients for the feed base,” said Vyacheslav Chuk, Astarta’s Chief Commercial and Strategic Marketing Officer.
The agroholding noted that the project envisages the efficient use of the existing infrastructure of the agro-industrial holding and will contribute to the development of the agro-industrial ecosystem in the Western region.
“The Astarta team is already actively working on its implementation. Just today we have finalized the agreement with the manufacturer of the extraction equipment and technology. We are waiting for the decision of the Narkevytska territorial community to allocate land for the project. According to our experts, this project meets the requirements of the law “On State Support for Investment Projects with Significant Investments in Ukraine”, so we intend to apply for participation in the program to speed up its implementation,” Chuk added.
“Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It includes six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220 thousand hectares and dairy farms with 22 thousand cattle, an oil extraction plant in Globyno (Poltava region), seven elevators and a biogas complex.
In 2023, the agricultural holding reduced its net profit by 5.0% to EUR61.9 million, and its EBITDA decreased by 6.1% to EUR145.77 million, while revenue increased by 21.3% to EUR618.93 million.
“In January-September 2024, Astarta increased its net profit by 35.1% to EUR75.60 million, EBITDA by 12.8% to $131.56 million, with revenue up 12.6% to EUR441.46 million.
Zaporozhkoks, one of Ukraine’s largest coke and chemical producers and part of Metinvest Group, reduced its blast furnace coke output by 3.7% year-on-year to 135.6 thousand tons from 140.8 thousand tons in January-February this year.
According to the company, it produced 61.2 thousand tons of coke in February.
As reported, Zaporozhkoks increased its blast furnace coke production by 2.1% in 2024 compared to 2023, up to 874.7 thousand tons from 856.8 thousand tons.
“In 2023, Zaporozhkoks increased its blast furnace coke output by 16% compared to 2022, up to 856.8 thousand tons from 737.4 thousand tons.
“Zaporozhkoks produces about 10% of coke in Ukraine and has a full technological cycle of coke products processing. It also produces coke oven gas and pitch coke.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Zaporizhzhia-based Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works increased its rolled steel output by 4.6% year-on-year to 413.3 thousand tons from 395.3 thousand tons in January-February this year.
According to the company’s press release on Tuesday, steel production for the period amounted to 478.3 thousand tons (471.1 thousand tons in January-February 2014), and pig iron – 553.1 thousand tons (512.3 thousand tons).
In February, Zaporizhstal produced 265.4 thousand tons of iron, 235.3 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 195.7 thousand tons of rolled products.
As reported, in 2024, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output by 18.1% compared to 2023 – to 2 million 426.7 thousand tons from 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel – by 17.2% to 2 million 890.8 thousand tons, pig iron – by 14.2% to 3 million 106.3 thousand tons.
“In 2023, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output by 57.2% compared to 2022, to 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel by 65.4%, to 2 million 466.9 thousand tons, and pig iron by 35.3%, to 2 million 718.9 thousand tons.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries of the world.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
US President Donald Trump has ordered a halt to all military aid to Ukraine, days after he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clashed during a meeting at the White House, Bloomberg reports.
According to a senior Defense Department official, the United States will suspend all current military assistance to Ukraine until Trump decides that the country’s leaders have demonstrated a good faith commitment to peace.
The official said that all U.S. military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be suspended, including weapons in transit on airplanes and ships or waiting in transit zones in Poland.
According to the source, Trump ordered Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth to pause.
Bloomberg notes that the US president is pushing for a quick deal to end the war that has been going on for three years. But when Zelenskiy demanded security guarantees in the Oval Office last week that Russia not violate the agreement, Trump angrily told him to come back when he was ready for peace.
This, in turn, has forced European allies to rush to develop plans to supply Ukraine with weapons as well as peacekeepers as part of the deal. However, Europe lacks many other weapons and capabilities that the United States currently provides. Allied officials have said that the arms supplies are likely to last only until the summer.
The newspaper writes that it is not yet clear to what extent Trump’s order will affect the amount of aid. He took office with $3.85 billion of money left over from the previous administration in the form of the so-called Presidential Authorization for the Reduction of
US Stockpiles. It is unclear whether the Trump administration will actually use this money for Ukraine, especially given that the US stockpile of weapons is running low and needs to be replenished.
Also, Monday’s decision goes beyond simply cutting off funding, but jeopardizes aid that is already being delivered or in progress. This includes the delivery of critical munitions, hundreds of guided missile systems and anti-tank weapons, and other capabilities.
Termination of existing contracts with industry may also require the US to pay some form of break fee to companies that have begun fulfilling orders.
The US and Ukraine were supposed to sign a deal that would have allowed the US to get a significant share of future revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources, but after Friday’s meeting, the deal appears to have fallen apart, according to Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, the White House confirms the cancellation of military aid to Ukraine, CNN reports.
“The president has made it clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We’re suspending and reviewing our assistance to make sure it’s contributing to a solution,” the White House official said.
Another official said the pause would apply to all military equipment not already in Ukraine.
The pause is a direct response to what Trump sees as Zelenskiy’s bad behavior last week, the official said. They noted that the pause could be lifted if Zelenskiy demonstrates a renewed commitment to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
The desire of Ukrainians who fled the war to stay in Germany even after the end of hostilities is linked to their increasing integration into German society, according to an analysis by the Institute for Research on the Labor Market and Professions (IAB). “The high level of education and strong desire to integrate among Ukrainian refugees create opportunities for both sides, especially given the demographic changes and the lack of qualified personnel in Germany,” said IAB expert Yulia Kosyakova.
However, for mutually beneficial relations to develop, Germany should be more active in helping Ukrainians find jobs, learn the language and recognize professional qualifications, Kosyakova said.
The IAB study shows that on average, only 22% of Ukrainian refugees aged 18 to 64 are employed. 57% of Ukrainian women and 50% of men work in Germany in positions that do not correspond to their qualifications. Most often, Ukrainians find work in the cleaning industry, catering, and social services, including care for people with disabilities. The average monthly gross income of Ukrainians working full-time is EUR 2,600, which is significantly lower than the average in Germany (EUR 4,479).
At the same time, according to the study, 97% of adult refugees have a school education, 75% have vocational or higher education, and 90% have work experience in their home country. Only 20% were able to officially confirm their diplomas and qualifications in Germany.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/bilshe-polovyny-ukrainskykh-bizhentsi/
