The sugar factories of Astarta, Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, have processed 1.2 million tons of sugar beets since the start of the sugar season, according to the agro-holding’s press service.
“The sugar season continues! Astarta’s sugar factories have already processed 1.2 million tons of beets,” the agricultural holding company said on Facebook.
Astarta did not report on the volume of sugar produced, but specified that the harvesting campaign is currently underway in the agroholding’s fields.
Astarta and its structural unit Astarta Agro Protein signed the first investment agreement with the Ukrainian government to receive compensation from the state for significant investments. Under the agreement, the state will provide the agricultural holding with a number of incentives, including exemption from import duties on new equipment, import VAT on new equipment, and income tax for up to five years.
Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine and is the largest sugar producer in Ukraine. It comprises six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220,000 hectares, dairy farms with 22,000 head of cattle, an oil extraction plant in Hlobyn (Poltava region), seven elevators, and a biogas complex.
In the first half of 2025, Astarta reduced its net profit by 10.3% to EUR47.11 million, and its consolidated revenue decreased by 29.3% to EUR320.71 million.
On June 12 this year, the shareholders’ meeting approved the payment of dividends for 2024 in the amount of EUR0.5 per share for a total of EUR12.5 million, which is in line with the figures for the previous two years.
First Ukrainian International Bank (FUIB, Kyiv) received UAH 1.22 billion in net profit in the third quarter of 2025, which is 10.1% less than in the same period of 2024, when it amounted to UAH 1.36 billion.
It is noted that pre-tax profit also decreased by 10.1% to UAH 1.63 billion, while net interest income increased by 18.1% to UAH 4.38 billion, and net commission income increased by 43.3% to UAH 0.64 billion.
According to the report, the decline in net profit is mainly due to an increase in impairment losses to UAH 1.1 billion from UAH 0.16 billion in the third quarter of 2024, while the bank’s operating expenses increased by 9% to UAH 2.6 billion, and net income from foreign currency transactions decreased by 21.9% to UAH 0.18 billion.
According to the document, in January-September of this year, the bank significantly increased its portfolio of loans and advances to customers – by 30.2% to UAH 87.13 billion as of September 30, 2025, compared to UAH 66.92 billion at the beginning of 2025.
As of September 30, 2025, the total loan portfolio of the bank’s 20 largest borrowers grew to UAH 12.11 billion, which is 23.9%, or UAH 2.33 billion, more than at the end of 2024, but its share in the loan portfolio, excluding reserves, remained at 13%.
Since the beginning of the year, FUIB’s total assets have grown by 4.4%, or UAH 8.22 billion, to UAH 194.81 billion, while total liabilities have grown by 2.3%, or UAH 3.77 billion, to UAH 168.16 billion.
The bank’s equity increased by 16.4%, or UAH 3.76 billion, to UAH 26.64 billion, of which retained earnings amounted to UAH 16.13 billion.
Overall, in the first nine months of this year, net profit decreased by 7.6% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 4 billion 792.21 million, with net interest income growing by 15.6% to UAH 12.52 billion and net commission income by 43.1% to UAH 2.39 billion.
According to the National Bank, as of September 1, 2025, FUIB ranked fifth among 60 banks in Ukraine with assets of UAH 193.14 billion. The ultimate beneficiary is Rinat Akhmetov.
Ukraine has been increasing its flax exports for the fourth month in a row amid active demand from exporters. Exports in October amounted to 7.65 thousand tons, which is 26% more than in September this year, according to the information and analytical agency APK-Inform.
Analysts noted that the main buyers of flax are EU countries. In October, 43.1% of supplies were purchased by France, 16.8% by Poland, and 11.4% by Italy.
“The increase in flax exports began in July this year, when the active phase of harvesting this crop began. Thus, flax exports in July were recorded at 1.37 thousand tons, and in August at 3.3 thousand tons,” the experts noted.
A sufficient supply of flax is pushing buyers to lower prices. Thus, the maximum demand prices for flax in Ukrainian ports fell by UAH 800/ton over the month and, as of November 6, usually do not exceed UAH 28,500/ton CPT port, according to APK-Inform.
Silpo Food LLC, part of the Fozzy Group (Kyiv) trade and industrial group, which operates the Silpo grocery supermarket chain in Ukraine, earned UAH 956.591 million in profit in January-September 2025, while in the same period last year, the company incurred a loss of UAH 767 million 071 thousand.
According to a study by YouControl, at the end of the third quarter of 2025, it ranked 6th among the top 10 companies in terms of revenue. Silpo Food’s net sales revenue for the first three quarters of 2025 increased by 13.8% compared to the same period in 2024 and reached UAH 75 billion 872 million 342 thousand.
At the same time, the company’s gross profit for January-September 2025 increased by 23% compared to the same period a year ago, to UAH 24.047 billion, and operating profit increased 1.5 times, to UAH 2 billion 152.7 million.
Silpo Food’s current liabilities as of September increased by 5% to UAH 29.7 billion, while long-term liabilities decreased by 5% to UAH 12.994 billion.
As reported, Silpo Food’s revenue for 2024 increased by 9.8% compared to the previous year, to UAH 93 billion.
Silpo Food LLC was established in early August 2016. According to Opendatabot, the founder of the LLC is PJSC “Closed Non-Diversified Venture Corporate Investment Fund ”Retail Capital” (100%, Kyiv), and the ultimate beneficiary is Volodymyr Kostelman.
As of September 2025, the chain has 310 supermarkets in 62 cities of Ukraine and four Le Silpo delicatessen markets: in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
It is part of the Fozzy Group, a trade and industrial group with more than 826 retail outlets throughout the country. The company develops retail chains of various formats: Silpo supermarkets, Fozzy wholesale hypermarkets, Fora neighborhood stores, Thrash! discount stores, Bila Romashka pharmaceutical supermarkets, and E-ZOO pet stores.
According to Serbian Economist, following a meeting of the National Security Council, the Montenegrin government announced that it was preparing amendments to the Law on Foreigners, which would abolish the requirement to obtain a residence permit on the basis of ownership of a “dormant” or formal company and linking the right to reside to full-time employment with a registered employer or a newly established company with contributions and salaries above the minimum. This is stated in a government announcement.
According to the government, interagency checks on the migration and economic activity of foreigners are being tightened; owners of inactive companies in foreign ownership will have their right to reside terminated.
At the same time, the authorities are preparing to restrict visa-free short-term stays for citizens of countries that are not in line with EU visa policy from 90 to 30 days. The authorities have been instructed to prepare subordinate legislation based on the new criteria.
In Montenegro, it has long been possible to open a company and, on this basis, obtain and extend a residence permit; the authorities say it is necessary to close down “schemes” of fictitious employment and bring the rules into line with European standards. In public discussions, it is noted that the “1 euro company” regime should not apply to foreigners.
The greatest risks are faced by foreigners who have obtained a residence permit through their own companies without real activity or without full-time employees and payment of contributions.
In terms of business structure and residents, company owners from Turkey, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine are in the lead; they will be the first to feel the requirements for real employment and tax payments.
According to open estimates, Turkish citizens own about 9,800 companies, Russians about 7,200, and Serbs more than 3,200; in total, there are more than 31,000 foreign companies in the country.
The geography and main risk groups are as follows:
1) Turkey – the largest group of company owners; in addition, according to police data, more than 13,000 Turkish citizens have a residence permit or a residence permit + work permit. There is a risk of losing status in the absence of real employment and contributions.
2) Russia – second in terms of the number of companies and one of the largest groups of residents; “paper” companies are at increased risk of having their residence permits revoked.
3) Serbia – a significant group in terms of residence permits and companies; formal structures without employees will also be subject to checks.
4) Ukraine – a noticeable share of company owners; formal companies without turnover and employees are under special scrutiny.
The exact parameters will be determined by amendments to the law and subordinate acts.
Source: https://t.me/relocationrs/1694
During the full-scale invasion, Ukraine commissioned 3 million tons of oilseed processing capacity, with the same amount planned and under construction, so there were underutilized enterprises in the country, said Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev in an interview with Forbes Ukraina.
“In September, rapeseed oil exports increased 4.5 times compared to August, turning raw material exports into processed products. The state receives a fiscal effect from duties on soybeans and rapeseed, the proceeds of which are directed to a special fund to support the agricultural sector, in particular the frontline territories, i.e., the main goal of the duty is being achieved,” he commented on the results of the introduction of a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed.
The minister noted that to ensure the proper functioning of this mechanism, the government adopted an experimental resolution stipulating that producer-exporters do not pay duties like the rest. In particular, the resolution specifies the method by which a producer confirms that they have grown a particular crop and are entitled to exemption from duties.
In addition, Ukraine is introducing monitoring through the State Agrarian Register to form a unified system of soybean and rapeseed exporters.
Sobolev added that a mechanism for exchanging information between customs and tax authorities is currently being developed with a view to transitioning to an automatic mode in the future. This will be an IT solution, similar to the electronic VAT administration system (SEA VAT), which will be operational by September 2026.
“After the end of the marketing years, we will be able to evaluate the results. Preliminary data already indicate an increase in the share of domestic processing of rapeseed and soybeans,” the Minister of Economy concluded.
