The 5th Ukrainian Construction Congress and the first All-Ukrainian Yellow 2025 Product Design Award took place on November 21 at the Parkovy Exhibition Center in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of the development market, investment funds, local government bodies, and industry experts, according to the event organizers.
According to the organizers, the Congress was attended by 3,474 participants. The event discussed issues of infrastructure restoration, the shortage of construction personnel, the rising cost of materials, and the need to update construction and project management standards. Participants presented case studies on the modernization of the industry and market development scenarios for the next two years.
Among the key events of the forum were the opening of the All-Ukrainian Yellow 2025 Product Design Award and a performance by musician Yevgen Kharchyshyn (Druga Rika), which concluded the business program.
During the panel discussion “The Evolution of the Developer: Me, You, Society,” the transformation of the role of the developer from a builder to a manager and community partner was discussed. Representatives of the analytical portal LUN.ua presented an updated overview of the real estate market, which participants described as “an essential planning tool in conditions of uncertainty.”
A new educational platform, DevelopStudy, created by MIB and Real Estate Business School, was also presented, aimed at training specialists in the development sector.
Among the main conclusions of the Congress, the organizers noted the following:
– the market is in a state of turbulence due to the rising cost of construction work, labor shortages, and investment restrictions, but there are no signs of stagnation;
– Ukraine’s recovery requires large-scale projects to modernize infrastructure, transition to modern technological solutions, and energy-efficient standards;
– the role of developers is expanding and includes resource management, improving service quality, and strengthening buyer confidence;
– The real estate market in 2026 will be focused on quality, transparency of processes, and sustainable brands.
– Communities are becoming key players in the recovery, as the quality of project preparation determines the prospects for attracting investment.
– Modernization of vocational education and raising industry standards are seen as a necessary foundation for further market development.
As part of the Yellow 2025 award, the jury selected the winners from among 126 submitted works. The award is focused on the development of product design and the formation of quality standards.
The event was organized by the DMNTR media group. The general partner was Kreator-Bud, the premium partner was Spatium Group, and the general sponsor was HutJet.
Interfax-Ukraine was the general information partner of the Congress.
Ukraine’s state budget revenues for January-October 2025 amounted to UAH 2.97 trillion, including general fund revenues of UAH 2.11 trillion, which is 26.4% and 26.1% higher than in the same period of 2024, according to the Ministry of Finance.
At the end of 2024, general fund revenues increased by UAH 513.9 billion, or 30.9%, to UAH 2 trillion 177 billion, while general fund expenditures increased by UAH 454.5 billion, or 15%, to UAH 3 trillion 488.8 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.
Initially, the 2025 state budget was approved with revenues of UAH 2 trillion 327.1 billion, including general fund revenues of UAH 2 trillion 133.3 billion (excluding grants and international aid), and expenditures of UAH 3 trillion 929.1 billion, of which UAH 3 trillion 591.6 billion was allocated to the general fund.
At the end of July, the Verkhovna Rada, at the government’s suggestion, increased the 2025 state budget expenditures by UAH 400.5 billion and revenues by UAH 147.5 billion. In October, parliament approved an additional increase in expenditures of UAH 324.7 billion for the national security and defense sector, while increasing revenues by UAH 20 billion.
Taking into account the changes made, the revenues of the 2025 state budget (excluding grants) are now planned to amount to UAH 2 trillion 482.6 billion, while expenditures are planned to amount to UAH 4 trillion 337.5 billion. The general fund is expected to have revenues of UAH 2 trillion 278.7 billion and expenditures of UAH 3 trillion 990.1 billion.
Thus, the formally projected deficit of the 2025 state budget, excluding grants and international aid, is about UAH 1.85 trillion, and the deficit of the general fund is about UAH 1.71 trillion, a significant part of which, according to the Ministry of Finance, is directed to financing the security and defense sector.
The Experts Club analytical center analyzed Albania’s economy for the first 10 months of 2025 and presented its analysis and forecast. Based on the results of the first ten months of 2025, Albania continues to have one of the highest growth rates in Europe, with low inflation, stable currency reserves, and continued growth in tourism, but it faces a slowdown in industrial output and an expanding trade deficit.
According to IMF mission estimates and national statistics, Albania’s real GDP grew by approximately 3.4–3.6% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, which is comparable to 2024 figures and above the European average. The main drivers of growth remain the service sector, construction, and tourism: foreign tourists alone spent around €2.1 billion in the country in the first six months, which is 7–8% more than a year earlier.
International institutions expect the economy to grow by around 3.4-3.7% by the end of the year: after its autumn mission, the IMF raised its forecast to 3.5% for 2025, while the World Bank and the EBRD also expect growth of over 3%.
Inflation in the country remains low and close to the target level. According to the IMF and national statistics, annual consumer price inflation in 2025 is around 2–2.3%.
The labor market situation is improving moderately. The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2025 fell to 8.5%, which is significantly below the historical average (around 14%).
Industry remains the most vulnerable sector. According to estimates by research centers and statistics, industrial production in Albania in the first quarter of 2025 declined by approximately 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024, while in the second quarter the decline slowed to around 0.5%. Manufacturing output in June 2025 was 0.9% lower than a year ago. This reflects the problems of traditional export industries, primarily textiles and clothing, which are under pressure due to the strengthening of the national currency and demographic outflow.
The external sector remains a weak spot in the macroeconomy. According to Albanian think tanks and INSTAT, the trade deficit in goods widened to about 25.3% of GDP in the first half of 2025, despite high tourism revenues. Remittances from migrants grew by about 5% to €1.2 billion, remaining an important source of external revenue, while foreign direct investment stabilized at around €1.1 billion over the same period.
At the same time, external stability appears comfortable. According to Trading Economics, Albania’s international reserves reached $7.3 billion in September 2025. In its final Article IV statement, the IMF explicitly notes “strong reserves, declining public debt, and one of the highest growth rates in Europe” as a basis for further reforms and deeper integration with the EU.
China is deploying a large fleet of civilian cargo ships and ferries in exercises off its coast, rehearsing scenarios for a possible landing in Taiwan, according to a Reuters investigation based on satellite images and ship tracking data.
According to Reuters, in the summer of 2025, at least 12 civilian vessels — six car ferries and six deck cargo ships — took part in landing maneuvers on a beach near the town of Jieshen in Guangdong province. Satellite images captured the unloading of hundreds of military vehicles directly on the coast via ramps, without the use of port infrastructure.
Experts interviewed by the agency note that the civilian fleet could be a key element in a possible operation against Taiwan: according to current estimates, the PLA Navy and Marine Corps currently have enough of their own landing ships and boats to transport approximately 20,000 troops with equipment. The investigation indicates that the use of civilian vessels is part of a broader “shadow fleet” strategy, which allows the PRC to dramatically increase its landing and transport capabilities while simultaneously complicating the situation for the US Navy.
The investigation indicates that the use of civilian vessels is part of a broader “shadow fleet” strategy that allows the PRC to dramatically increase its landing and transport capabilities while making it more difficult for intelligence to assess the scale of preparations. According to Reuters, more than 100 civilian vessels have been tracked that are involved in military exercises or belong to companies that regularly participate in such maneuvers.
The article cites assessments by former Taiwanese Armed Forces Commander Li Shimin and other military experts who call the rehearsal of landings involving the civilian fleet a “significant step” toward the formation of real invasion plans. At the same time, Taiwanese officials point to the vulnerability of such ships to anti-ship and portable missiles and view the demonstrative exercises as part of a “cognitive war” aimed at putting psychological pressure on Taipei and its partners.
Reuters emphasizes that, despite the build-up of capabilities, it remains unclear whether the PLA is ready for a real amphibious operation across the Taiwan Strait: the scale of the invasion is difficult to conceal, and weather conditions, the island’s coastal terrain, and the potential response of the US and its allies make such a scenario extremely risky.
Reference from Experts Club: Comparison of the military capabilities of China and Taiwan (estimates for 2025)
According to open estimates (GlobalFirepower, Taiwan Ministry of Defense, budget data): Number of active military personnel
China: approximately 2.0–2.1 million (active PLA personnel).
Taiwan: nearly 230,000.
Ratio: approximately 8–9 to 1 in favor of China.
Reserves and mobilization resources
China: approximately 510,000 reservists + large paramilitary formations.
Taiwan: approximately 2.3 million reservists with a significantly smaller population, relying on mass reserves.
Air Force (general aviation)
China: about 3,300 aircraft, including about 1,200 fighters.
Taiwan: about 760 aircraft, about 280–300 fighters.
Fighter ratio: about 4–5 to 1 in favor of China.
Navy (combat ships)
China: about 750 ships and boats, including 3 aircraft carriers, dozens of destroyers and frigates, and over 60 submarines.
Taiwan: about 100 ships and boats, no aircraft carriers, with a limited number of destroyers, frigates, and submarines.
Ratio of fleet units: approximately 7–8 to 1 in favor of China, with an even more significant gap in total tonnage.
Defense budgets (2025)
China: approximately $245–270 billion per year according to official data.
Taiwan: approximately $20–21 billion (about 2.45% of GDP).
Ratio: China spends more than 10 times more on defense than Taiwan.
These figures are estimates based on open sources, but they generally reflect China’s significant quantitative advantage, while Taiwan focuses on technological saturation, defense doctrines, and alliances with the US and other partners.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/kytaj-zadiyuye-czyvilni-sudna-v-navchannyah-po-tajvanyu-zmi/
The Central, Ingulets, and Northern Mining and Processing Plants (M&P) of Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group, transformed into United Mining and Processing Plant, paid UAH 3.8 billion in taxes in January-September 2025, which is 19.1% less than in the same period last year (UAH 4.7 billion).
According to the company’s press release, the largest deductions of the United Mining and Processing Complex for the first nine months of 2025 were subsoil use fees, unified social security contributions, and personal income tax. Land fees and military levies also accounted for a significant share of deductions.
“Since the start of the full-scale war, Metinvest’s mining and processing enterprises have remained among the largest taxpayers. We are working in new conditions, focusing on daily changes, but we are not giving up on our long-term prospects, because we are still committed to achieving all of our strategic goals. Metinvest continues to systematically support Kryvyi Rih and Ukraine, implementing the most important social and infrastructure projects in communities and helping the front,” said OGZK CEO Igor Tonev.
As reported, in the first nine months of 2025, OGZK’s total iron ore concentrate production decreased by 4% compared to the same period last year to 11.713 million tonnes, as operations at the Ingulets open pit were suspended in July 2024. This was partially offset by increased production at the Hannivskyi quarry. Production of commercial iron ore products remained almost unchanged on an annualized basis at 11.456 million tons, taking into account a 6% decline in iron ore concentrate production and a 9% increase in pellet production.
Ingulets GOK suspended operations in the summer of 2024.
The group’s mining and processing plants increased their tax payments 2.6 times to UAH 5.7 billion in 2024.
Earlier, Metinvest’s CFO Yulia Dankova, explaining the group’s financial performance, stated that the dynamics were not positive mainly due to the shutdown of production facilities, particularly in Pokrovsk.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions – as well as in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
In October of this year, Ukrainian metallurgical companies increased steel production by 7.3% compared to the same period last year, from 604,000 tons to 648,000 tons, but decreased by 5.9% compared to the previous month (611,000 tons).
In the ranking of global producers of this product, compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Ukraine ranked 21st among 70 countries.
According to Worldsteel, in October 2025, there was a decrease in steel production compared to October 2024 in most of the top ten countries, except for India, the US, Turkey, and Iran.
The top ten steel-producing countries in October were as follows: China – 72 million tons (down 12.1% compared to October 2024), India – 13.563 million tons (up 5.9%), the US – 6.989 million tons (+9.4%), Japan – 6.853 million tons (-1%), Russia – 5.250 million tons (-6.2%), South Korea – 5.093 million tons (-5.8%), Iran – 3.316 million tons (+12%), Turkey – 3.208 million tons (+3.1%), Germany – 3.127 million tons (-3%), and Brazil – 2.988 million tons (-2.7%).
Overall, steel production in October this year decreased by 5.9% compared to the same period last year, to 143.340 million tons.
Based on the results of the first ten months of this year, the top ten steel-producing countries are as follows: China – 817.870 million tons (-3.9% compared to January-October 2024), India – 135.987 million tons (+10%), the United States – 68.376 million tons (+2.8%), Japan – 67.327 million tons (-4.1%), Russia – 56.536 million tons (-4.9%), South Korea – 51.144 million tons (-3.6%), Turkey – 31.277 million tons (+1.2%), Germany – 28.505 million tons (-9.9%), Brazil – 27.988 million tons (-1.8%), and Iran – 25.442 million tons (-1%).
Over the first ten months of this year, Ukrainian steel companies reduced steel production by 4.9% compared to the same period last year, from 6.487 million tons to 6.172 million tons. The country ranked 22nd.
In general, global steel production in January-October 2025 decreased by 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1 billion 517.589 million tons.
As reported, at the end of 2024, the top ten steel-producing countries among 71 countries were as follows: China – 1 billion 5.090 million tons (-1.7%), India – 149.587 million tons (+6.3%), Japan – 84.009 million tons (-3.4%), the United States – 79.452 million tons (-2.4%), Russia – 70.690 million tons (-7%), South Korea – 63.531 million tons (-4.7%), Germany – 37.234 million tons (+5.2%), Turkey – 36.893 million tons (+9.4%), Brazil – 33.741 million tons (+5.3%), and Iran – 30.952 million tons (+0.8%).
In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 839.449 million tons of steel last year, which is 0.9% less than in 2023.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 7.575 million tons of steel in 2024, which is 21.6% higher than in 2023 (6.228 million tons). The country ranked 20th in 2024.
In 2023, China produced 1 billion 19.080 million tons (at the level of the previous year), India – 140.171 million tons (+11.8%), Japan – 86.996 million tons (-2.5%), the US – 80.664 million tons (+0.2%), Russia – 75.8 million tons (+5.6%), South Korea – 66.676 million tons (+1.3%), Germany – 35.438 million tons (-3.9%), Turkey – 33.714 million tons (-4%), Brazil – 31.869 million tons (-6.5%), and Iran – 31.139 million tons (+1.8%). In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.1% less than in 2022.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 6.228 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.6% less than in 2022. The country ranked 22nd in 2023.
At the end of 2022, the top ten steel-producing countries were as follows: China – 1.013 billion tons (-2.1%), India – 124.720 million tons (+5.5%), Japan – 89.235 million tons (-7.4%), the United States – 80.715 million tons (-5.9%), Russia – 71.5 million tons (-7.2%), South Korea – 65.865 million tons (-6.5%), Germany – 36.849 million tons (-8.4%), Turkey – 35.134 million tons (-12.9%), Brazil – 33.972 million tons (-5.8%), and Iran – 30.593 million tons (+8%).
Ukraine ranked 23rd in 2022 with 6.263 million tons of steel (-70.7%).
In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.
