Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

In Montenegro, jointly with the FBI, a suspect in a case of cyberattacks on U.S. universities was detained

In Kotor, Montenegrin police, jointly with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, detained a 39-year-old citizen of Iran and Turkey whom U.S. authorities are seeking in a case involving large-scale cybercrimes.

According to the police, the man was detained in the coastal city of Kotor at the request of the United States and the FBI. He is wanted by the court of the Southern District of New York on charges related to computer fraud, hacker attacks and the theft of personal data.

Investigators claim that since 2013 the suspect has participated in large-scale cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, including more than 150 American universities. The alleged damage is estimated at more than $3.4 billion.

According to the version of the Montenegrin police, the stolen data and access to compromised university accounts were used in the interests of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian structures, including universities.

The case has been handed over to a judge of the High Court in Podgorica, who will consider the issue of extraditing the detainee to the United States.

An official comment from the FBI could not be obtained by Reuters at the time of publication.

The arrest in Kotor became one of the most notable international episodes in the fight against cybercrimes related to attacks on educational and research infrastructure.

Ukraine is developing practical accessibility programs for veterans and people with disabilities

In Ukraine, accessibility is increasingly viewed not as a formal requirement for infrastructure, but as a systemic prerequisite for veterans and people with disabilities to return to active life, work, education, and participation in community development.

This is discussed in an article on the Events.org.ua platform dedicated to the All-Ukrainian Accessibility Week, which took place in May 2026.

The initiative arose from the personal experience of veteran Vadym Honcharenko, call sign “Kinolog,” who uses a wheelchair after being wounded. His son, Artem Goncharenko, and the project team emphasize that for people with disabilities, barriers include not only obvious obstacles but also dozens of small design choices in urban spaces: stairs with no alternative, dangerous ramps, curbs, narrow doors, a lack of elevators, or improperly designed tactile paving.

According to the organizers, it is precisely this experience that shows accessibility cannot be achieved through a “trial-and-error” approach by people with disabilities themselves. Every flawed architectural or service-related decision can pose a risk of falls, injuries, additional pain, or complications for them.

As part of the All-Ukrainian Accessibility Week, the focus was not on declarations but on practical actions. The initiative was joined by Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ivan Pul’uj Ternopil National Technical University, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, the Drohobych National Pedagogical University, the Kyiv City Employment Service, the KNUBA Institute for Veterans, the Veterans Cluster of Ukraine, the Agency for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, business partners, and civil society organizations.

In May and June, a training course titled “Rights of People with Disabilities” also began; the organizers stated that its goal was not only to raise awareness but also to change approaches to decision-making. The program emphasized non-discriminatory procedures, appropriate communication, and a practical understanding of the needs of people with disabilities.

A separate module was dedicated to assessing the accessibility of urban spaces. On May 26, in the Teremky-2 neighborhood, participants, together with people in wheelchairs, followed actual routes to identify where formal accessibility measures were failing and which solutions required immediate change. Based on the results of this work, preliminary design solutions for KNUBA and NUFVSU were developed in collaboration with the Mlyn group of companies and the Shaw architectural firm.

Another area of focus was the topic of Smart City. The organizers emphasize that a smart city without accessibility becomes a service available only to a portion of its residents. Therefore, digital solutions, navigation, transportation, and urban services must be designed with the needs of veterans, people with disabilities, older adults, parents with children, and other population groups in mind.

A separate training session was held for employees of Kyiv’s Administrative Service Centers (ASC) on working with veterans and people with disabilities, crisis communication, and the use of AI tools in service delivery. The organizers also identified the following training areas: safety and first aid.

Neurologist Denys Boichuk led practical training sessions on first aid and how to respond to epileptic seizures. Participants in the initiative emphasize that accessibility applies not only to physical spaces but also to people’s readiness to act appropriately in critical situations.

According to the organizers, Ukraine already possesses the expertise, partnerships, and practical experience needed to develop an accessible environment; however, such efforts cannot be limited to isolated events. They must become an integral part of daily decision-making in the areas of management, education, architecture, and services.

The article also notes that the “Architecture of Resilience” Veterans Institute at KNUBA and the Veterans Cluster of Ukraine continue to develop educational opportunities for veterans, defenders, and their family members. These include training, retraining, courses, second higher education, master’s programs, doctoral studies, psychological support, rehabilitation, and participation in projects aimed at Ukraine’s recovery.

Partner universities in the initiative include KNUBA, the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, the Western Ukrainian National University, Poltava Polytechnic, the Precarpathian National University, NUBiP, the Drohobych Pedagogical University, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ivan Pul’uj Ternopil National Technical University, and the University of Educational Management.

The organizers emphasize that “tuition-free education” refers to participation in state compensation programs, grants, scholarships, and support from employers. Admissions take place during the standard dates of the main admissions campaign.

The All-Ukrainian Accessibility Week demonstrated that, for post-war Ukraine, accessibility should not be a separate social initiative, but rather an integral part of economic recovery, the labor market, education, urban planning, and service policy. Given the number of veterans and people returning to civilian life after injuries, such decisions will have a direct impact on employment, quality of life, and communities’ capacity for recovery.

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“Zaporizhzhiaelektrotrans” Seeks an Insurer for Liability Insurance

On June 29, the Zaporizhzhia municipal enterprise “Zaporizhzhiaelektrotrans” announced a tender for liability insurance services covering the carrier’s liability to passengers on road and urban electric transport.

According to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, the estimated cost of the services is 973,950 thousand UAH.

The deadline for submitting bids is July 7.

 

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“Astarta” Has Modernized Livestock Complex in Khmelnytskyi Region

The agro-industrial holding “Astarta” has modernized one of the largest livestock complexes in the Khmelnytskyi region by installing a state-of-the-art 40-head milking carousel, the company’s press service reported on Facebook.

“Dairy farming remains one of Astarta’s strategic areas of development… In the last 2.5 years alone, investments in the dairy segment have exceeded 1 billion hryvnia,” the press service quoted Viktor Ivanchik, CEO of the agribusiness holding, as saying.
According to the press service, investments are being made in farm modernization, technology, and production quality, resulting in market leadership in industrial milk production and 99% of milk being of extra-class quality.

According to the company, the complex is designed to house 2,000 head of cattle.
The modernization project involved upgrading production facilities with a focus on improving animal welfare, production efficiency, and the potential for further expansion.

The company noted that the modernization is part of the holding’s infrastructure program, which also includes the implementation of digital technologies in livestock farming, improving the energy efficiency of farms, and enhancing the genetics of the herd.

“Astarta” is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding operating in seven regions of Ukraine and is the country’s largest sugar producer. The company’s portfolio includes five sugar refineries, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 214,000 hectares (including 129,000 hectares in Poltava Oblast, 42,000 hectares in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, and 16,000 hectares in Vinnytsia Oblast), and 26 dairy farms with 29,000 head of cattle across three regions. The holding company also operates a soybean processing plant and a bioenergy complex in Poltava Oblast, as well as a network of six grain elevators.

Astarta’s net profit for 2025 fell 4.2-fold to $19.94 million, while consolidated revenue decreased by 23% to $472 million.
Revenue from the livestock segment last year amounted to EUR56 million, and the average annual livestock headcount increased by 5% to 29,000.

Milk sales volumes rose by 6% year-over-year to 122,000 metric tons. At the same time, 99% of the raw milk was classified as extra-quality milk, compared to 97% in 2024.

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Schneider Electric Donated 2 Mln UAH Worth of Equipment to Universities

With the support of the international electrical engineering company Schneider Electric, Ukrainian universities have gained access to state-of-the-art ETAP software for designing and analyzing electrical networks. The company also conducted training for faculty members: more than 200 representatives from 30 universities learned how to use the professional tool SEE Electrical Expert. Thanks to this initiative, students will be able to learn how to design electrical schematics using modern digital solutions, preparing them for real-world professional challenges in the energy sector.

SEE Electrical Expert is software for creating electrical schematics, technical documentation, and 3D visualizations. The program allows users to develop schematic diagrams, work with component libraries, and automatically generate specifications and documentation, which significantly reduces project development time and helps minimize the risk of errors. It also enables the creation of a 3D model of an electrical panel, helping to avoid mistakes during assembly.

In addition to the software, in 2025 Schneider Electric donated equipment worth 2,000,000 UAH to universities for their educational laboratories, enabling students to apply modern concepts of automation and electrical engineering in practice and promoting the integration of innovative engineering solutions into the educational process.

Specifically, state-of-the-art electrical engineering equipment was donated to the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute,” Lviv Polytechnic National University, Odesa National Technological University, National University of Food Technologies, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih National University, and other higher education institutions.

In 2025, more than 600 ETAP licenses were transferred to Ukrainian universities in several stages:

  • August: 100 licenses for Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, and National University of Food Technologies.
  • September: 125 licenses for the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the Dnipro Polytechnic National Technical University, the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, and others.
  • October–December: over 375 additional licenses for universities in Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Kharkiv, and Zhytomyr.

Training sessions on using SEE Electrical Expert took place from September 2025 through May 2026, with over 200 faculty members from 30 Ukrainian universities participating in total.

“Today’s students are the engineers who will be developing Ukraine’s energy sector tomorrow. That is why it is important for them to learn using the technologies employed in the real world. By investing in education, we not only help young professionals adapt more quickly to their careers, but we also contribute to the country’s reconstruction and create opportunities for young people to realize their potential in Ukraine,” said Mykhailo Bubnov, CEO of Schneider Electric.

“In the near future, we have an ambitious plan to create a modern project laboratory, the ‘Schneider Electric Academy-KAI,’ which will not only ensure the use of software in the educational process but also enable students to participate in creating digital twins of the power supply systems for critical infrastructure in the aviation industry. “Therefore, the effectiveness of our collaboration with Schneider Electric allows us to look to the future with confidence. The energy labor market will be supplied with specialists possessing the necessary professional skills and competencies,” commented Serhiy Ilienko, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Power Machinery at the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute.”

Schneider Electric also announced a teaching materials competition aimed at encouraging the academic community to actively use SEE Electrical Expert in the educational process. Competition participants have the opportunity to present their own approaches to solving applied electrical design problems.

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Some Ukrainian regional power companies have begun reporting possible power outages

On Monday, a number of distribution system operators (DSOs, regional power companies) began reporting possible power restrictions for businesses and residents on Tuesday.
According to monitoring by Energoreforma, this information is currently included in announcements by “Mykolaiv-,” “Cherkasy-,” and “Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo.”
“According to a report from NEC ‘Ukrenergo,’ tomorrow, June 30, between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. in the Zaporizhzhia region, hourly power cut schedules may be implemented, with one phase active at a time,” reads a post by “Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo” on Facebook.
In addition, on June 30 from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., power restriction schedules are expected to be implemented in full—all five stages—for industry and business in the region.
The regional power distribution company notes that final information regarding the timing and duration of outages, as well as the stages and sub-stages that will be included in the HOP, will be published later on its official channels after receiving the relevant instructions from “Ukrenergo.”
“Mykolaiv-” and “Cherkasyoblenergo” also report on Facebook that the current forecast calls for restrictions for all consumer categories from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the first-stage level, and for industry and businesses—from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. —power restriction schedules (GOM) may be applied in full.
“Please note that the situation in the power grid may change, so the projected volumes are subject to adjustment,” notes “Cherkasyoblenergo.”
“Hourly blackout schedules for residential consumers and power restriction schedules for industry are already forecast for tomorrow. One of the main reasons is the abnormally high air temperature,” Prikarpattyaoblenergo wrote on Telegram.
The operator advises people to charge their phones, power banks, and other essential devices now, to follow official announcements from the regional power company, and to be prepared for various scenarios this summer.
As previously reported, “Ukrenergo” called for maximum energy conservation during the evening hours, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., noting that consumption had increased significantly compared to the previous Sunday due to the heat. Peak consumption on Sunday was 7.4% higher.

 

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