According to Serbian Economist, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced that the country plans to introduce regular conscription in the near future.
According to him, the term of service may be about 75 days, with the final parameters still being clarified. Vučić also noted that the service should promote responsibility among young people and will not be as harsh as before.
Vučić added that Serbia continues to rearm in order to deter a possible aggressor and intends to remain out of the war.
Croatia has also announced a return to compulsory military service: in October 2025, the country’s parliament approved the reinstatement of conscription, providing for two months of basic training, with the first conscripts scheduled to be recruited in 2026.
Four enterprises in Volyn, Rivne, Cherkasy, and Khmelnytskyi regions received UAH 116.3 million in partial state compensation for the construction and reconstruction of six livestock farms, according to the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
“The state reimbursed up to 25% of the cost of farms, milking parlors, and production facilities for processing by-products that were put into operation,” the ministry said, clarifying the decision of the Ministry of Economy’s commission on state support for the development of livestock farming and agricultural product processing.
It is expected that agricultural producers will be able to keep about 3,000 head of livestock on new and reconstructed farms.
“Supporting livestock farming is an investment in Ukraine’s food security. Enterprises that modernize production and build new facilities in wartime receive real financial assistance from the state. This year, we have reimbursed up to 25% of the cost of facilities that have been put into operation since the beginning of the year,” said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky, whose words are quoted in the report.
The Ministry of Economy reminded that support is provided in accordance with the procedure for the use of funds allocated in the state budget for the development of livestock farming and agricultural product processing, approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 950 of August 6, 2025. Compensation is provided for completed projects submitted through the State Agrarian Register.
The mining and metallurgical group Metinvest plans to expand its product portfolio in terms of DR-rolled products (iron ore direct reduction DR-rolled products – IF-U) for the production of “green” steel and premium raw materials for pig iron production.
According to a press release, as part of this large-scale program to increase DR-pellet production, which Metinvest is launching, the construction of a flotation and finishing complex for the production of concentrate to ensure the quality characteristics of raw materials for DR pellets and the reconstruction of the existing LURGI 552-A pellet production line are expected.
It is reported that on December 1 of this year, Metinvest Sichstal, a group company that implements its strategic investment projects, signed an agreement with the leading Austrian company Primetals Technologies for the development of basic engineering for the reconstruction of the LURGI 552-A production line. This will be the first stage of the roasting machine’s modernization, which is planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
It is noted that the global trend towards “green” metallurgy, the development of steel production in electric furnaces, and changes in consumption in China and the EU are driving demand for high-quality iron ore raw materials (IORM). To strengthen its competitiveness in the global IRR markets, Metinvest intends to improve the quality of the concentrate used in its production.
“The concentrate from Northern GOK has good potential for quality improvement. After enrichment using flotation technology, we will be able to obtain a product with an iron content of at least 70% and a minimum proportion of impurities – silicon and aluminum oxides of no more than 2%. This opens up the possibility of producing high-quality pellets,” said Sergey Pavlish, Deputy Director of Programs at Metinvest Sichstal.
In order to enter the high-margin DR pellet market, along with the enrichment of ordinary concentrate, it is planned to reconstruct the technological line for the production of pellets for the LURGI 552-A roasting machine. This will enable the manufacture of products with improved characteristics that meet consumer requirements and market trends.
As a result of the implementation of the program, which will consist of these two projects, it is planned to produce about 4 million tons/year of DR pellets at the Northern GOK. The possibility of producing BF HQ class pellets is also envisaged. (Blast Furnace High Quality refers to high-quality iron ore pellets specially designed for use in blast furnace (BF) production with a high iron content and low impurity content, making them an ideal raw material for iron (DR) production, capable of ensuring a more efficient and environmentally friendly process – IF-U).
“The design stage will include the use of modern energy-saving technologies. And the new process control system will allow the line to be reconfigured for the production of any of these types of pellets,” explains project manager Andriy Panchenko, whose words are quoted in the report.
Metinvest Sichstal LLC (MSS) is a company within the Metinvest Group for the implementation of highly complex strategic investment projects, established in 2019.
MSS is one of the largest project organizations in Ukraine, capable of implementing large projects, from conceptual design to commissioning. The company’s goal is to implement key projects in the technological strategy of Metinvest Group companies. MCC provides an integrated process from investment idea, engineering, and design to procurement, construction, and commissioning.
Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owns a 100% stake in Metinvest Sichstal LLC.
The LLC’s authorized capital is UAH 30.405 million.
Metinvest Sichstal LLC 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.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has approved Igor Syrovatko as the new CEO of NovaPay (TM NovaPay), an international financial service provider belonging to the Nova Group, according to a press release issued by the company on Monday.
“It was a difficult challenge for me, especially in parallel with the process of getting into the role and managing a large company—I had to quickly refresh my knowledge of the regulatory framework governing the work of financial institutions, corporate governance, and all the legislation governing the work of our industry,” Syrovatko said in the release.
He previously worked at Universal Bank and headed the customer service department at OLX in Ukraine and Central Asia. NovaPay announced its decision to appoint him as CEO in September this year.
Prior to Syrovatko, Andriy Kryvoshapko was the CEO of the international financial service NovaPay, having headed the company since 2016.
NovaPay is an international financial service founded in 2001. It is part of the Nova group and provides online and offline financial services at Nova Poshta branches. In 2023, it was the first non-bank financial institution in Ukraine to receive an extended license from the NBU, which allowed it to open accounts and issue cards, and at the end of last year, it was the first non-bank to launch its own financial application.
According to NBU statistics, NovaPay is the leader among all money transfer systems created by non-bank institutions. According to the company, it processes about 2.5 million transactions per day for 750,000 users.
JSC Tascombank has put up for auction the Slobozhanska Budivelnaya Keramika (SBK) porous ceramic block factory in the Kyiv region on the OpenMarket electronic platform (SE “SETAM” of the Ministry of Justice), according to the SETAM press service.
The auction for the Kyiv branch of SBK is scheduled for January 2, 2026, with applications accepted until January 1 and a starting price of UAH 76.8 million. The property is located in the Kyiv region, Borodianka district, village of Ozery.
The lot includes a production complex with a total area of 15,906.4 square meters, 212 units of industrial equipment, and a land plot.
The sale includes the right to conclude a financial leasing agreement and a purchase and sale agreement for real estate and movable property belonging to the bank.
Auction details and terms of participation are available at: is.gd/Jr3aDv
The OpenMarket electronic auction has been operating in Ukraine since 2014 and is a convenient tool for purchasing and selling property online. In total, assets worth over UAH 26.7 billion have already been sold through the system.
AUCTION, building ceramics, FACTORY, PRODUCTION, TASCOMBANK, СБК
Export prices for food and feed wheat began to decline in December 2025, according to the information and analytical agency APK-Inform.
“Demand for food wheat remained low throughout the reporting period, while the first half of December was characterized by good purchasing activity in the feed wheat sector, followed by a decline at the end of the month. This was due to military threats, a reduction in ship calls at ports, and systematic strikes on energy infrastructure, leading to emergency and rolling blackouts,” analysts said.
Experts noted that these factors complicated the work of Ukrainian ports and land logistics, caused interruptions and forced stoppages, and forced market participants to adjust all elements of the supply chain. In addition, weather conditions deteriorated at the end of December, which also affected shipments from ports.
This situation, combined with a seasonal decline in trading activity and high competition in foreign markets, according to analysts, put pressure on exporters’ purchase prices.
Thus, in the ports of Greater Odessa during the reporting period, purchase prices for food wheat of grades 2 and 3 fell by $6-9 USD/t and as of December 29 are reported to be in the range of $208-216 and $206-214 per ton (CPT-port). At the same time, the decline in demand prices for feed wheat averaged $9 per ton and is recorded in the range of $197-207 per ton (CPT port) compared to the beginning of this month, according to APK-Inform.
