In January-September 2024, the number of stores of surveyed Ukrainian retailers increased by 9.5%, or 1,925 outlets, with Kyiv, Dnipro and Lviv regions leading the way, according to a study by the Ukrainian Retailers Association.
“The number of operating stores in the first nine months of this year continues to show positive dynamics. Thus, in January-September 2024, 1925 stores were opened and 649 were closed for various reasons. Accordingly, during this period, the net increase amounted to 1276 retail outlets. It should be reminded that in the first six months of 2024, 837 stores were added,” the association said in a statement.
According to the association, the largest number of stores is concentrated in Kyiv and the region – 5266 retail facilities. It also has the largest increase in retail outlets: in nine months, the number of operating stores increased by 473, including 328 closed stores.
Dnipropetrovska oblast ranks second with 2,075 operating stores. At the same time, 180 outlets were reopened or launched in the region and 64 stores were closed during the reporting period.
Lviv region is the third most concentrated retailer with 1947 retail outlets. Also, 124 new stores accounted for 56 closed ones in the first nine months.
According to the study, Odesa (1316 stores) and Kharkiv (1215) regions are also among the five most saturated regions with stores. In January-September, 98 and 97 new active outlets were recorded in these regions, respectively, while 41 and 77 were closed.
According to the association, these five regions account for more than half (54%) of all operating stores of the surveyed retailers (108 companies).
The German federal government has confirmed the increase in imports of Ukrainian grain in recent years and at the same time denied the negative impact on its market, the Bavarian trade publication Wochenblatt reported.
“Grain imports have been growing since 2022, when the Russian war against Ukraine began. Imports of feed and food grains from Ukraine to Germany reached its peak in recent years – about 741 thousand tons. In the first six months of 2024, the volumes approached 490 thousand tons,” the publication writes.
The largest share in imports is corn. In January-June 2024, Germany imported about 447 thsd tonnes of corn, while in 2023 it was 619 thsd tonnes. At the same time, in 2023, wheat imports reached almost 106 thousand tons, but from the beginning of 2024 to July 2024, only about 16.5 thousand tons were registered. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, wheat imports ranged from 6,000 to 2,000 tons.
The federal government also emphasized that it has no information about any deviations from the requirements and standards during inspections of Ukrainian grain by the official German Food and Feed Inspectorate. According to the Federal Government, food and feed imported into the EU from third countries, such as Ukraine, must comply with the requirements of the food and feed legislation in force in the EU.
This information is contained in the federal government’s response to questions from the parliamentary group Alternative for Germany.
“Corum Druzhkovka Machine-Building Plant (Corum DrMZ), a part of Corum Group (DTEK Energy), is completing the production of a second main ventilation fan to replace the worn-out analogue at Zakhidno-Donbaska mine, the plant reports on its Facebook page.
“At the end of 2023, the plant manufactured the first VSDC-4.5SM fan (left) for the same mine. The fan that is currently in production is a mirror version of the previous one,” the statement said.
The plant reminds that the main ventilation fan provides fresh air to the mine, maintaining conditions for continuous operation. The diameter of its impeller is 4.7 meters, the rated capacity is 400 cubic meters per second. The maximum power is 4000 kW.
Due to the large size of the fan and its weight (105 tons), the final assembly will be carried out during installation at the mine.
“Corum DrMZ also reminds that it mastered the production of mine fans in 2014 (after Corum lost Donetskgormash, which specialized in this equipment – IF-U).
“The plant has three fans of this type in production. However, this will be the second fan that Corum DrMZ will produce under the relocation conditions,” the statement said.
Currently, the plant is gradually shipping fan assemblies to the mine for installation.
Corum DrMZ, which was relocated to Dnipro in 2022, according to the report, produced 407 units of mining equipment in January-September 2024 (including 9 units in September), including two new and one repaired roadheader. The company also produced 695.78 thousand units of components and spare parts (69.48 thousand in September).
“The main efforts in September were focused on the production of steel structures for the concentrator, which was a new experience for the company,” the plant said.
Corum Group is a leading manufacturer of mining equipment in Ukraine. It is a part of DTEK Energy, an operating company responsible for coal mining and coal-fired power generation within Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK energy holding.
In January-September 2024, PrJSC Ukrainian Financial Housing Company (Ukrfinzhytlo), which manages the state program eHouse, increased its assets by 23% to UAH 74.9 billion.
According to Ukrfinzhytel’s financial statements, the company’s retained earnings have increased by 51% since the beginning of the year to UAH 8.9 billion.
As of September 30, 2024, the company’s financial investments in securities amounted to UAH 54.3 billion, and loans for UAH 14 billion were received, of which repurchase agreements amounted to UAH 5.3 billion and long-term loans – UAH 7.7 billion.
In the third quarter, Ukrfinzhytlo signed agreements on opening credit lines with JSC FUIB (up to UAH 1.5 billion), JSC Cominbank (up to UAH 250 thousand), JSC TAScombank (up to UAH 300 thousand and UAH 90 thousand).
The eOselya affordable mortgage lending program was launched in Ukraine in October 2022. Contract servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, employees of the security and defense sector, healthcare workers, teachers, and researchers can apply for a preferential mortgage at 3% per annum for up to 20 years with a down payment of 20% of the cost of housing.
Starting from August 1, 2023, war veterans, combatants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and citizens who do not have their own housing larger than the standard area can apply for the eHouse program at a 7% discount.
Under the terms of the program, privileged categories of participants and IDPs can purchase housing in a building under construction and buildings not older than 10 years (in the capital and regional centers), while other participants can purchase housing in a building not older than three years or a building under construction.
The program involves 10 partner banks: state-owned Oschadbank, PrivatBank, Ukrgasbank, Sens Bank, as well as MTB Bank, TAScombank, Globus Bank, Sky Bank, Credit Dnipro Bank, and BISBANK.
As of October 30, 13.8 thousand families have purchased their own housing for more than UAH 22.3 billion, according to Ukrfinzhytl.
Ukraine can become a member of the European Union (EU) within the next five years, provided that it implements all the necessary reforms, European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varghese said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
According to Deutsche Welle, Varghese said that additional tools have been created for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans to “help them accelerate reforms.”
“These tools are called the Growth Plan, the Ukraine Plan, depending on the country. And with the help of this plan, we have made it possible for the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine to complete reforms in order to prepare everything and become an EU member by the end of the next European Commission mandate,” he said.
On September 30, a report on EU enlargement was presented in Brussels, which describes the progress of the candidate countries.
At a summit in Brussels on June 23, 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine candidate status in the EU. Kyiv has to implement several important reforms related to the rule of law, oligarchs, and corruption, among other things.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Kovlar Group’s production increased by 100% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to the company, the main consumers of fire protection in 2024 were system developers of commercial real estate and infrastructure.
“The key components of this growth are the adaptation of the production cycle to wartime conditions and the high competitiveness of Ammokote products,” said Konstantin Kalafat, CEO of Kovlar Group.
Today, the company continues to carry out research and development activities to develop new promising fire protection materials necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine. This allows us to keep the development of the Ukrainian fire protection industry at the global level and significantly reduces the import dependence of the domestic fire protection market.
Today, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection products, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
