The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) donated medical equipment for comprehensive diagnosis and examination of children to the Artek International Children’s Center (Kyiv region). According to the TİKA press service, the delivery includes equipment for dentist, ophthalmologist, and otolaryngologist offices, as well as laboratory analysis. The aid is aimed at expanding diagnostic capabilities for children, including those from socially vulnerable groups and rural areas.
According to Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Mustafa Levent Bilgen, the Artek initiative is an important humanitarian project, and Turkey, as a friendly country, is pleased to contribute to providing medical care for children.
“Such comprehensive examination opportunities can become the basis for further treatment of children within the state healthcare system,” the diplomat said.
TİKA Program Coordinator in Ukraine Yahya Kemal Tunca noted that this is not the agency’s first initiative based at Artek.
Previously, projects in the field of education have been implemented. According to him, the new direction will allow more children to access quality medical services.
On the Ukrainian side, Deputy Minister of Health Yevhen Gonchar took part in the handover of the equipment. He thanked the Turkish side for its support and stressed the importance of such projects in the context of the war.
Currently, Artek annually receives about 11,000 children from disadvantaged groups from all regions of Ukraine for health improvement and recreation.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) is a state agency under the Vice President of Turkey. It implements international technical and humanitarian assistance projects. The agency has been operating in Ukraine since 1997, implementing dozens of social, educational, and medical initiatives.
In January-July 2025, Ukrainian metallurgists increased pig iron production by 6.7% compared to the same period in 2024, to 4.361 million tons, according to the Ukrmetallurgprom association.
In July, 621,100 tons of pig iron were smelted, which is lower than the June figure of 661,900 tons.
For comparison, at the end of 2024, pig iron production increased by 18.1% to 7.090 million tons.
In 2023, this figure decreased by 6.1% to 6.003 million tons.
Peak pre-war pig iron production in Ukraine in 2021 was 21.165 million tons.
The Northern Mining and Processing Plant (Pivnichnyi GZK, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region), part of the Metinvest Group, is actively working on the construction of a modern hydraulic engineering facility for the thickening of enrichment waste at its technical water and sludge management workshop.
According to the company, the complex will enable the plant to reduce costs and lower its environmental impact by cutting energy and water consumption.
It is specified that Metinvest received a loan of EUR 23.6 million to purchase Finnish professional equipment from Metso Finland for the complex. The loan is provided by the Finnish export credit agency Finnvera. Deutsche Bank is the sole organizer and lender, with legal support from the international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
The press release explains that the concept of expanding the existing tailings storage facility at the Northern GOK from +165 m to +189 m using tailings thickening technology was approved back in 2015. After developing the project documentation in March 2021, Metinvest announced the launch of one of its largest high-tech projects, which will be managed by Metinvest Sichstal specialists.
Three years later, the facility was scheduled to be commissioned, but the outbreak of full-scale war forced construction to be put on hold.
Metinvest Sichstal Project Manager Vladimir Sidorov noted that a certain amount of work had been completed before the forced shutdown.
“The design was completed, basic and detailed engineering was developed, and calculations were made. We decided on the construction site, set up headquarters there, purchased some of the equipment, and began preparatory work. Directly at the site of the future complex, we had to remove the top layer of soil, which was unsuitable for construction, and replace it with another layer that was suitable in terms of characteristics. It was during this preparatory period that active hostilities began,” Sidorov explained in the statement.
However, a year ago, in July 2024, the company decided to resume construction work, continuing with the earthworks to lay and level the imported soil, and then moving on to the construction phase of the concentration complex facilities. Currently, despite the risks of wartime, builders are working on the pile foundation and grillage, which will ensure the stability and reliability of the hydraulic engineering structure.
“The biggest challenge we are currently facing is the lack of qualified specialists, both engineers and technical workers. This problem is relevant both for Metinvest and for the contractors we work with. After all, a significant number of professionals are currently working not on peaceful construction projects, but on the front lines,” said the project manager.
In addition, the company faces the risk of shelling on a daily basis. To ensure people’s safety, one shelter was installed on the site during the preparatory work, and two more were added when construction began. The company decided to protect itself from power supply problems caused by possible attacks on energy facilities by using generators.
By the end of this year, specialists plan to complete the pile driving and concreting of the foundations for the main facilities of the complex. In the near future, they will also begin installing metal structures for the reverse water supply pumping station, thickener No. 4, and the combined slurry pumping station. The commissioning of the slurry thickening complex will take place in three stages. The completion of work on the facility is currently scheduled for the end of 2027.
“Advanced technology for thickening enrichment waste using safe reagents to separate water from solid particles will allow the enterprise to reduce transportation costs and not increase the area for tailings disposal. This will give us a real opportunity to reduce the cost of concentrate and pellets, increase profitability, and strengthen our position in the raw materials market,” said Dmitry Nepomnyashchy, Director of Capital Construction and Investments at GOK, commenting on the resumption of construction of the pulp thickening complex as opening up new prospects for the Northern GOK.
As reported, Metinvest presented a $189 million waste thickening project at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025 in Rome. The new complex will reduce the volume of sludge transferred to the tailings pond during iron ore enrichment by 30%. The energy savings will amount to 125 MWh per year.
The project will be launched in three years.
Pivdenny GOK is part of the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are System Capital Management (SCM, Donetsk) (71.24%) and the Smart Holding group of companies (23.76%). The managing company of the Metinvest Group is Metinvest Holding LLC.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises reduced total rolled steel production by 2.8% in January-July 2025 compared to the same period last year, to 3.622 million tons, according to operational data from the Ukrmetallurgprom association.
Steel production during this period decreased by 7% to 4.263 million tons.
In July 2025, Ukraine produced 552,000 tons of rolled steel and 580,500 tons of steel, compared to 563,000 tons and 621,400 tons in June.
For comparison, in 2024, rolled steel production increased by 15.8% to 6.222 million tons, and steel production by 21.6% to 7.575 million tons. In 2023, rolled steel production grew by only 0.4%, while steel production decreased by 0.6%.
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, increased its EBITDA in April-June 2025 by 23.5% compared to the same period last year, to 6.90 billion UAH, while its revenue grew by 25.8% to UAH 1.86 billion due to significant growth in the telecommunications and digital technology segments.
“EBITDA margin was 58.2% (-1.1 p.p. compared to the same period last year), reflecting a higher share of direct digital revenues after the consolidation of Uklon. In the second quarter, there was pressure on expenses, including an increase in utility, consulting, and IT support costs,” according to the report published by the parent company VEON on Thursday.
According to the report, EBITDA for the first half of the year increased by 39.5% to UAH 12.85 billion, while revenue increased by 36.1% to UAH 22.58 billion.
It is noted that Kyivstar increased its capital investments in the second quarter of 2025 by 72.8% to UAH 3.93 billion, and for the first half of the year by 89.8% to UAH 6.35 billion.
“Capital investments of 33.2% (of revenue) in the second quarter of 2025 and 28.2% in the first half of 2025 underscore Kyivstar’s accelerated reinvestment in its existing business to maintain its technological leadership amid the ongoing war,” VEON emphasized.
The company specified that in dollar terms, EBITDA grew by 18.6% in the second quarter to $166 million, while revenue increased by 20.8% to $286 million, while for the first half of the year as a whole, they increased by 31.5% to $309 million and 27.9% to $542 million, respectively.
According to the report, the total number of mobile subscribers decreased by 4.5% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 22.4 million, reflecting the continued migration of customers amid the conflict.
The decline in the 4G user base was smaller, at 1.2% to 14.4 million, while the number of customers using service packages increased by 23.7% compared to the same period last year and currently stands at 6.5 million, or 31.7% of total subscribers, as demand for bundled services remains high.
It is noted that ARPU (average monthly revenue per user) increased by 20.6% to UAH 146.
In addition, Kyivstar recorded a 20.3% increase in data usage in the second quarter, to 12.6 GB per user, while the number of digital users grew by 51.2% over the year, to 13.4 million.
As for subsidiary businesses, the report notes that the number of users of the Helsi medical information system reached 2.5 million in June 2025, which is 15.8% more than in the second quarter of 2024. In addition, new subscription models and the development of the B2B segment are also showing growth.
The number of users of Kyivstar TV at the end of Q2 2025 increased by 21.7% compared to the same period last year, to 2 million. The company added that the positive dynamics was ensured by the launch of an app for Xbox with Ukrainian-language content and exclusive sports broadcasts.
Uklon, which was consolidated into Kyivstar’s financial statements in April 2025, generated $21.7 million in revenue and $9.3 million in EBITDA in the second quarter of 2025, with 41.2 million trips and 1.1 million deliveries. It is noted that this integration was a strategic step in expanding the company’s presence in the digital services market.
Among other notable events in the second quarter, the report mentions the signing of a memorandum with the Ministry of Digital Transformation on the creation of the first large Ukrainian-language language model. The project is planned to be implemented by the end of the year to provide secure digital services based on localized data.
In addition, the company has received permission to conduct test trials of Direct to Cell satellite technology. Kyivstar plans to use this technology to provide connectivity in regions without traditional terrestrial mobile coverage, particularly in remote mountainous and rural areas.
US stock futures rose after the Kremlin confirmed that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet for a summit in the coming days, raising hopes for a truce in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Contracts for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 added 0.7%. Apple Inc. shares rose in premarket trading after announcing a $100 billion investment that could spare the company from President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on chip imports. Apple suppliers, including Corning Inc.
The dollar index fell for the fifth day in a row, its longest streak in nearly four months, while the euro rose to a session high. Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds remained stable. Oil pared gains.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose more than 0.8%, offsetting losses caused by last week’s disappointing US labor market data. The travel and leisure sector performed best. A basket of stocks of companies with interests in Ukraine rose, while defense stocks fell. Optimistic financial results from some of the region’s largest companies helped improve sentiment, even as industrial production in Germany suffered its biggest drop in nearly a year, dealing another blow to Europe’s largest economy.
“A peaceful resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine should have a positive impact on European consumers and risk sentiment, and a negative impact on oil prices,” said Mohit Kumar, chief economist and strategist at Jefferies International Ltd. “Among the sectors that will benefit from this are European consumers, growth-sensitive sectors, and construction-related sectors.”
Market sentiment improved earlier after Trump announced that companies manufacturing goods in the US, such as Apple, would be eligible for exemptions from his proposed 100% tariff on chip imports. Growing speculation about a Federal Reserve interest rate cut is also supporting optimism in stock markets, as new tariffs aimed at reshaping global trade officially took effect on Thursday.
Eli Lilly & Co. shares fell after the pharmaceutical company released disappointing results from trials of its weight-loss drug
DoorDash Inc. jumped in premarket trading after releasing a third-quarter order forecast that beat Wall Street expectations
Paycom Software Inc. rose after raising its full-year revenue forecast
Fortinet Inc. fell after the software company released updated information about its firewall update cycle
Airbnb Inc. declined on weak growth forecasts
German defense company Rheinmetall AG fell after missing analysts’ forecasts for operating profit as orders from Germany and other European countries that have increased defense spending have not yet materialized.
Deutsche Telekom AG fell after reporting second-quarter results that showed weak performance in Germany, its largest market.
Siemens AG rose after reporting higher revenue and orders in the third fiscal quarter.
Allianz SE, a German insurance company that owns bond management company Pacific Investment Management Co., rose after second-quarter profit growth on the back of better results in the property and casualty insurance segment and an inflow of funds at Pimco.
Shares of A. P. Moller-Maersk A/S, a global trade leader, rose after the company raised its financial forecast for 2025, saying demand outside North America is “resilient” even amid concerns about a trade war.
Sandoz Group AG
rose after the Swiss pharmaceutical company reported better-than-expected results.
On Wednesday evening in the US, Trump said that the US would impose “a tariff of approximately 100% on microchips and semiconductors.”
He added: “But if you build in the United States of America, there will be no tariffs.” These comments came after Apple CEO Tim Cook, alongside Trump in the Oval Office, announced a $100 billion investment plan.
Later on Thursday, the Bank of England is expected to cut rates. The pound rose slightly against the dollar, while the UK’s benchmark stock index fell.
Meanwhile, three Fed officials expressed concern about the US labor market on Wednesday, noting that interest rates could be cut in September.
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said policymakers would likely have to adjust interest rates in the “coming months” to prevent further deterioration in the employment situation.
Data released last week pointed to a sharp cooling of the labor market over the past few months. Policymakers left rates unchanged at the end of July, and the next meeting will take place in September. After that, they will hold two more meetings in 2025.
Traders are awaiting weekly jobless claims data, due out on Thursday, for more insight into the state of the US labor market.
Separately, Trump said he would likely appoint a temporary Fed governor to fill the vacant seat on the central bank’s board in the coming days, rather than using the seat to demonstrate his choice to replace Jerome Powell as chairman.
At the same time, China’s export growth unexpectedly accelerated last month, reaching its highest level since April. Foreign supplies remained stable despite high tariffs imposed by the US. Chinese stocks remained unchanged.
In other tariff news, the US also imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, effectively doubling the rate announced a few days ago. Indian stocks fell.
Some key market developments:
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-06/stock-market-today-dow-s-p-live-updates
