The Ukrainian Sea Corridor has transported 116 million tons of cargo since its launch, including almost 73 million tons of grain, said Oleksiy Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister of Communities and Territories Development.
“Since the launch of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, 116 million tons of cargo have been transported. Of these, more than 73 million tons of grain have been transported to the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia,” Kuleba wrote on Facebook on Tuesday following the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Odesa region.
At the same time, since the summer of 2023 alone, Russia has fired more than half a thousand missiles at our ports and damaged about 400 port infrastructure facilities, Kuleba noted in his Facebook post.
Kuleba also took part in a working trip, the press service of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development said in a statement.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that in Odesa, Zelensky held a meeting on the security situation in the region and its socio-economic development. The focus was on people’s safety, protection of the sky over the region from Russian attacks, the situation with grain exports, the work of regional enterprises and support for our people.
“It is also important for us to protect the port infrastructure. This is a matter of Ukraine’s economy and global food security,” Kuleba emphasized, noting that strengthening protection against constant Russian attacks and stable operation of the sea corridor is of course of interest to the region’s producers.
Work is currently underway to strengthen the air shield over Odesa region. The state is also constantly working on security guarantees, in particular at sea, in the sky, and on land, the Deputy Prime Minister said in a post.
In early March, the Ministry of Development reported that 106 million tons of cargo had been transported through the Ukrainian sea corridor during its operation, of which almost 70 million tons were grain.
It was also reported that on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Odesa together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In January-March 2025, the Export Credit Agency (ECA) supported the exports of Ukrainian companies worth UAH 3.15 billion, with 20 exporters benefiting from the agency’s insurance coverage, the press service of the Ministry of Economy reports.
“In the first quarter, ECA insured exports worth more than UAH 3.1 billion. These are finished products with added value: furniture, food, packaging materials, wood and plastic products. Thanks to this support, 20 companies were able to secure their contracts and attract almost UAH 150 million in bank loans,” Deputy Minister of Economy Andriy Teliupa said in a press release.
He emphasized that this proves that state support tools are working: businesses receive protection, resources for expansion and confidently enter new markets.
The Ministry of Economy noted that Ukrainian companies will export furniture, food, paper, wood, and plastics to Poland, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands, and other countries.
Thanks to ECA insurance, the business received bank loans worth almost UAH 150 million.
Raiffeisen Bank supported the exports of its ECA clients by UAH 1.3 billion, Creditwest Bank by UAH 1.26 billion, and Oschadbank by UAH 323 million.
Companies from Khmelnytsky region took advantage of the opportunity to insure export contracts most actively, with a total of UAH 1.3 billion, Volyn region – UAH 1.12 billion, and Zaporizhzhya region – UAH 230 million.
The Export Credit Agency of Ukraine (ECA) is a government agency that supports non-resource exports by insuring the risks of enterprises and banks. In particular, the agency insures foreign economic contracts, export credits, bank guarantees, and has started insuring investment credits against war risks.
According to the Pension Fund of Ukraine, there are currently more than 10.3 million pensioners in Ukraine. The number of pensioners decreased by 176 thousand over the year. After indexation, the average pension is UAH 6341. However, every third pensioner currently receives UAH 3,340.
There are 10,331,375 pensioners in Ukraine as of the beginning of April 2025. This is almost 177 thousand less than in April 2024.
The average pension in Ukraine has increased to UAH 6,341 (about $152) after annual indexation. In hryvnia terms, this is 10% more than last year. However, inflation over the same period amounted to 14.6%, meaning that pension payments actually decreased.
One in three Ukrainian pensioners receives UAH 3,340 ($80) in pensions. In total, this is more than 3 million people. At the same time, indexation has reduced the number of Ukrainians whose payments are less than UAH 3,000 by almost 7 times. Currently, 398 thousand people (3.9%) have such a pension.
At the same time, 1.5 million Ukrainians (14.5% of the total) receive more than UAH 10,000 in pensions. The average amount of payments in this group is UAH 15,640 ($374).
Another 3 million (29%) have pensions slightly higher than the national average of UAH 6,860 ($164). In addition, 20% of pensioners (2.1 million people) receive about 4,500 UAH ($107).
The highest pensions are traditionally in Kyiv: UAH 8,708 (37% higher than the average). This is followed by Donetsk region – UAH 7,814 (+23%) and Luhansk region – UAH 7,314 (+15%). The lowest payments are in Ternopil region (UAH 4,931) and Chernivtsi region (UAH 5,100).
The largest number of pensioners lives in Dnipropetrovs’k region – 873 thousand, in Kyiv – 748 thousand, and in Kharkiv – 707 thousand. The lowest number of pensioners is in the Chernivtsi region, with only 206 thousand.
It is worth noting that almost a third of all Ukrainian pensioners work – 2.9 million (28%). Their pension payments amount to an average of UAH 6,863.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/pensions-2025
Ukrposhta JSC will receive EUR600 thousand for the installation of modular branches from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Special Crisis Response Fund, the company’s press service said.
According to the company’s announcement on Tuesday, the grant was provided in support of a EUR63 million loan already granted to Ukrposhta by the EBRD.
The company emphasized that the modular branches can be quickly installed in place of stationary branches that have been destroyed or damaged by enemy shelling.
“Modular offices will also be installed in settlements “cut off from the world” – with barrier-free access, equipped with Starlink and generators, they will become an island of stability for Ukrainians,” Ukrposhta said in a statement.
In addition, it is reported that in the modular branches it is possible to send a parcel within Ukraine and abroad; pick up ordered medicines; make a transfer or pick up funds sent by loved ones; subscribe to publications; pay utility and other bills; receive a pension.
The donors of the EBRD Special Crisis Response Fund are Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Malt producer Slavutsky Malt Plant PJSC (Krupets, Khmelnytsky region), a member of the international agro-industrial group Soufflet, cut its net profit by 2.2 times last year to UAH 175.23 million.
According to the company’s publication in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the shareholders at the remote general meeting on April 18 intend to use the profit for the company’s development and replenishment of working capital, and not to accrue or pay dividends based on the results of financial and economic activities in 2024.
In addition, the shareholders are to hear and approve the report of the management and the audit committee for 2024. They also plan to give their consent to enter into significant transactions for the purchase of barley in the amount of UAH 2.4 million and the sale of malt and barley in the amount not exceeding UAH 3.1 million, the purchase of natural gas in the amount of UAH 300 million and electricity in the amount of UAH 192 million. At the same time, the CEO will be authorized to extend the loan agreement for UAH 2.4 million for a period of one year, according to the published information.
The general meeting will approve decisions for 2022 to elect Thierry Blandinier as chairman of the supervisory board, replace Roman Bilyi with Ivan Tukureiev, and terminate the powers of Stefan Payar.
According to the Opendatabot service, in 2024, Slavuta Malt Plant PJSC reduced its revenue by 24.7% to UAH 1.259 billion and its debt obligations by 2.4 times to UAH 52.522 million. At the same time, the company’s assets increased by 9.4% to UAH 1.169 billion, and the number of employees decreased by 6 people to 77.
Slavuta Malt Plant is owned by International Malt Company JSC, founded by Compaginie Internationale de Malteries (France), a company created by the merger of Soufflet Group and the French agricultural cooperative Invivo.
Soufflet Group is one of the world’s largest malt producers, with 28 malt plants in Europe, Asia and South America. It is the largest flour producer in France and produces bread and confectionery in France and Portugal. It operates on the international grain market through its Soufflet Negoce trading division.
At a briefing on Tuesday, April 15, US President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, said that she was not aware of the president’s plans to visit Ukraine.
“I haven’t actually spoken to the president about it, whether he has seen Zelensky’s proposal. I’m sure he has. I did not talk to him about it. I can ask him what he thinks. However, I certainly don’t have any plans that I could share about a potential trip to Ukraine,” Levitt said in response to a journalist’s question.
As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Trump to visit Ukraine before adopting a “peace plan.”
