President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 519/2025 appointing Oleksandr Balanutsa as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Alexander Balanuța is an experienced diplomat who previously served as Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Kuwait. Since 2024, he has also served as Ukraine’s Special Representative for Cooperation with the Arab Countries of the Persian Gulf.
His appointment to the UAE is a logical continuation of his diplomatic mission in the Middle East. Balanuța has been actively working to expand economic, energy, and investment ties between Ukraine and countries in the region, including on attracting investment in Ukraine’s renewable energy sector.
Ukraine and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1992. The Ukrainian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been operating since 1993. The Emirates are one of Ukraine’s key partners in the Middle East, especially in the context of trade, high technology, and energy.
The appointment of the new ambassador demonstrates Ukraine’s intention to deepen cooperation with the UAE and international institutions such as IRENA in the context of the global energy transition.
IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) is an international agency for renewable energy, founded in 2009, which brings together 169 countries (as of 2025). The organization’s goal is to promote sustainable development and the use of all forms of renewable energy worldwide. The agency’s headquarters are located in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Ukraine has been a full member of IRENA since 2018.
Naftogaz Group has attracted a UAH 4.7 billion loan from PrivatBank to fill its underground gas storage facilities with the required volumes of gas, said Serhiy Koretsky, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine Sergiy Koretsky.
“Naftogaz Group has attracted a UAH 4.7 billion loan from PrivatBank. The funds were used to build up the necessary gas reserves in underground storage facilities for a sustainable heating season,” Koretsky wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
He noted that cooperation with international financial organizations and partner countries is ongoing.
“I am grateful to the management of PrivatBank for the quick response to our request. I thank the Government for supporting our efforts to prepare for the winter,” said the head of Naftogaz.
The company indicated that it is diversifying sources and routes of gas supply to increase Ukraine’s energy security and resilience in a full-scale war.
As reported, in the spring of 2025, Naftogaz announced its intention to use a EUR 270 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and EUR 140 million in grant funding provided by the Norwegian government through the NORAD fund for the urgent purchase of 1 billion cubic meters of gas. The company has also contracted 440 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Polish concern ORLEN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Hennadiy Nadolenko as Ukraine’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Malaysia. The relevant decree No. 526/2025 has been published on the website of the head of state.
Prior to this appointment, Nadolenko served as director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has significant diplomatic experience. He also previously represented Ukraine in the Middle East: from 2007 to 2021, he was Ukraine’s ambassador to the State of Israel, and in the 2000s, he served in Turkey.
Hennadii Nadolenko was born in 1960, graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the Diplomatic Academy. He has served in the diplomatic service since the 1990s and holds the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Malaysia were established in 1992. The Ukrainian Embassy has been operating in Kuala Lumpur since 2004.
Malaysia is an important partner for Ukraine in Southeast Asia, especially in the areas of trade, education, and international security.
Ukrainian businessman Sergiy Tigipko’s Dnipro-based Dneprometiz-TAS LLC plans to build a new hot-dip galvanizing line for steel wire worth $4 million, the company presented the project at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) held in Rome on July 10-12.
According to the company’s information in the URC project catalog, the project involves the construction of a new hot-dip galvanizing line to improve operational efficiency and optimize energy consumption, and is a diversification of high-margin products through the production of high-quality thin (0.7-1.6 mm) and medium-diameter (1.8-5.0 mm) wire, including low-carbon, medium- and high-carbon steel grades.
The plant’s capacity is 24 thousand tons per year. New energy-saving equipment is used in the furnace and zinc bath. The project’s strengths include reduced production costs, increased space efficiency, increased production capacity, and strategic investments in the cable industry.
The target market is Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
The project is 100% ready for implementation: pre-project planning has been completed, infrastructure (workshop, power plant and other facilities) has been developed, detailed technical, production and market analyses have been performed, and wire semi-finished products are being produced.
The project will result in a change in the product mix from relatively low-margin fence wires to highly profitable products for the cable industry. The model focuses on efficiency through the gradual decommissioning of old lines to achieve an annual production capacity of 24 thousand tons with an average diameter of 1.6 mm.
The total project budget is $4 million, with $2 million to be raised. Expected financial indicators: net present value (NPV) – $1.5 million, revenue in 2030 – $1.4 million, EBITDA in 2030 – $0.9 million.
The project launch period is three years.
Until 2025, $0.1 million will be invested in the concept development, this year $1.5 million will be needed for design, $2 million in 2026, and $0.4 million for construction in 2027. The start of operation is scheduled for 2027.
It is added that cooperation has already been established with partners in the EU and potential customers in MENA and North America.
As reported, Dneprometiz-TAS increased its net profit by 20.8% year-on-year to UAH 8.936 million in the first half of 2025, while net income increased by 8% to UAH 1 billion 756.245 million.
“In 2024, Dneprometiz-TAS increased its net profit by 47.7% compared to 2023, to UAH 14.197 million from UAH 9.610 million, and net income by 22.7%, to UAH 3 billion 285.688 million. At the same time, the company’s retained earnings amounted to UAH 263.048 million at the end of 2024.
“Dneprometiz-TAS produces hardware products from low-carbon steels. The company’s capacity is 120 thousand tons of products per year.
It is owned by T.A.S. Overseas Investments Limited (Cyprus) owns 98.6578 percent of Dneprometiz LLC.
The authorized capital of Dneprometiz-TAS LLC is UAH 83.480 million.
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has died, Sky News reports.
He was 76 years old.
A statement from his family said he died “surrounded by love.”
Three weeks ago, Osbourne played his farewell concert with Black Sabbath at a festival in Birmingham, UK (video). The band reunited for the first time in 20 years for this concert.
Six years ago, the musician was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Decree No. 529/2025 appointed Andriy Plakhotniuk Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Canada and Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Plakhotniuk served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Sweden since 2021. Previously, he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in particular in the Department of International Organizations and embassies abroad.
He holds a PhD in Political Science and is fluent in several foreign languages. Andriy Plakhotniuk is known for his active position in promoting Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and strengthening bilateral cooperation in defense and high technology.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Canada were established on January 27, 1992.
Ukraine has one of the largest Ukrainian embassies in the world in Canada, and more than 1.3 million Ukrainians and their descendants live in the country.
