22 million tons of food have been blocked in Ukrainian ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Kyiv on Saturday after meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
“Russia has blocked all maritime opportunities to export food products – our grain, barley, sunflower. 22 million tons have been blocked by the Russian Federation, “he said.
“And, to be honest, they are stealing slowly. Grain is taken out of ports and somewhere. We know what “somewhere” is, “Zelensky said.
According to him, Ukraine “works at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the level of conscience, it is impossible to work with these countries, so we work differently. ”
Zelensky noted that “it can be unblocked in different ways. One of them is military. That is why we are asking our partners for such requests for appropriate weapons, and Portugal is no exception. “
Naftogaz Ukrainy and a group of companies Clear Energy as part of a joint project launched a biogas power plant operating on Saturday at the landfill in Veliki Gribovichi in the Lviv region, according to NAC.
“Development of low-carbon businesses is a strategic choice of Naftogaz. Thanks to the biogas power plant built here, 38 hectares of landfill emitting millions of cubic meters of harmful landfill gas will become a source of energy for surrounding households,” said Yu.
The plant produces 2.645 million kWh per year, replacing more than 800,000 cubic meters of natural gas. “This allows us to provide green electricity to about 735 households and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by about 30,000 tons per year,” said Peter Bagriy, co-founder and head of the Clear Energy Group’s supervisory board.
Vitrenko stressed that it is very important that even in the difficult conditions of the war, the company still continues to develop and implement such projects. “According to our estimates, this facility will not release more than 2 million cubic meters of methane, which is 30 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide,” he added.
In addition, the report notes, landfill gas, which is formed during anaerobic (no air access) decomposition of organic waste residues (food residues, leaves, twigs, etc.), is also one of the causes of fires and explosions in landfills, and now this risk will be eliminated.
“The opening of this facility is the next stage in the reclamation of the landfill, the next stage in ensuring the environmental safety of residents of Lviv and the region,” said the head of the Lviv OVA Maxim Kozitsky.
Lviv Mayor Andrei Sadovy, who also took part in the opening ceremony, reminded that the city is implementing the reclamation project in Velykyi Gribovichi thanks to the support of European banks. According to him, technical reclamation is currently underway, which includes the construction of a system for collecting, preparing and disposing of landfill gas with the generation of electricity.
The plant is equipped with Austrian Jenbacher equipment used in biogas projects throughout Europe.
Biogas is collected with the help of wells, which are evenly distributed on the body of the landfill, and a system for collecting surface gases. Currently, 29 vertical wells to a depth of 12.5 m and 4 horizontal wells have been drilled at this landfill. From each well there is a pipeline (loop) to the gas collection point.
Medical aid donations from the UK to Ukraine will reach over 11 million units in the coming days, the UK government said.
“A fourth tranche of aid left from across the UK during the last week, carrying: 4.2 million doses of medicines – including painkillers and antibiotics that are critical for treating infections caused by battlefield trauma and limited hygiene facilities 1.5 million items of other supplies – including PPE and respirators,” the British government said in a press release on its website on Friday.
Nearly 16 million people are reported to be in need of humanitarian assistance within Ukraine, with access to care badly needed for those in cities worst hit by Russian attacks like Mariupol and Irpin.
The government said the latest supplies are being sent in direct response to a request from the government of Ukraine. They will provide treatment for people injured in the brutal and intentional Russian attacks on civilians across Ukraine, as well as help the government prepare for potential future threats.
In addition, further donations to Ukraine of new ambulances are reported to support advanced life-saving efforts in Ukraine.
” The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends. As the medical emergency inflicted by Russia escalates, we have responded with life-saving medical supplies where they are needed most. As one of the largest humanitarian donors, Britain will continue to help care for those bravely resisting Putin’s vile aggression until Ukraine succeeds,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.
Ukraine in January-April this year reduced imports of nickel ores and concentrate by 22.9% compared to the same period last year, to 285,903 tonnes.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (STS), in monetary terms, imports of nickel ores decreased 24.1%, to $13.072 million.
The ores were imported from Guatemala (100% of deliveries in terms of money).
In January-April 2022, as in January-April-2021, Ukraine did not export and re-export these products.
As reported, Ukraine in 2021 reduced the import of nickel ores and concentrate by 20.6% compared to 2020, to 1.236 million tonnes. In monetary terms, imports of nickel ores fell by 22.2%, to $58.929 million. Nickel ores were imported from Guatemala (100% of deliveries in monetary terms).
Last year, Ukraine did not export and re-export these products.
Nickel ore is imported to Ukraine by Pobuzhsky Ferronickel Plant (PFP, Kirovohrad region, part of the Solway group).
PFP processes about 1.2 million tonnes of ore per year.
On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill approved by the Congress to appropriate $40 billion for Ukraine, the White House press service has reported.
“On Saturday, May 21, 2022, the President signed into law H.R. 7691, the “Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022,” the press service said in a statement posted on the White House’s official website.
“Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022” provides supplemental emergency appropriations for fiscal year 2022 to Federal agencies to respond to the situation in, and for assistance to, Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky rejected possible alternatives to EU candidate status and called not to compare Ukraine with other countries that have received this status.
“We do not need alternatives to EU membership. We do not need compromises. These will not be compromises with Ukraine, this will be another compromise between Europe and Russia, “he said in Kyiv on Saturday after talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
“For me, EU candidacy is an important signal. An important signal for our people, who defend their country and European values. I think this is a very important step. I understand that many countries have come a long way – years in terms of application and years in terms of membership, “said the President of Ukraine.
“It is incorrect to compare us with countries that have passed the peaceful path of candidacy. We are going through a war for freedom and independence, for these European values. We are not only wasting time. We lose people. I really want to believe that Portugal will also be on this side of the world, “Zelensky stressed.