The Experts Club Information and Analytical Center conducted a study on plum cultivation (production) worldwide. A video analysis of the study is available on YouTube.
According to the results of 2023, Ukraine ranked 13th in the world in terms of plum production, according to a video graphic based on official data from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
The video review published by Experts Club shows the dynamics of plum production in 1991–2023 by country. According to statistics, the leading positions are held by:
TOP 5 plum producing countries in 2023:
China — the undisputed leader, with almost 7 million tons,
Romania
Chile
Serbia
Turkey
The best indicator for Ukraine in recent years was 2021, when the country ranked 9th among the world’s top plum producers. In 2023, the plum harvest in Ukraine amounted to more than 160,000 tons. The main regions for plum production are Zakarpattia, Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions.
Plums are used both fresh and for processing: dried plums, jams, juices, and pastila.
Despite military risks and the occupation of part of its southern territories, Ukraine retains its status as an important producer of stone fruits in Eastern Europe.
Global data on the production of major crops for 2024 is currently being processed and will be available within a month.
For more details, see the video review at the link.
Experts Club is a platform for analytical video discussions, interviews, and reviews on key issues in economics, politics, medicine, security, and international relations. The project brings together leading experts, scientists, businesspeople, and public figures for in-depth analysis of current events.
The channel regularly features:
interviews with relevant specialists (economists, doctors, lawyers, diplomats),
expert panel discussions,
analytical videos and infographics (including those based on data from the UN, IMF, and FAO),
reviews of the global and Ukrainian economies.
The goal of the project is to form an independent expert community and develop a culture of analytics in Ukraine.
The Experts Club YouTube channel is available at: youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
Investment REIT company Inzhur plans to merge five of its funds into one—Inzhur REIT—and is considering investments in retail parks, according to the company’s Telegram channel. According to the report, Inzhur REIT will include the funds “1001,” “2001,” Inzhur Supermarket, “Inzhur Zhitny,” and Inzhur Ocean. At the same time, Inzhur Energy will remain a separate fund.
Inzhur REIT will be valid until May 20, 2045, with a nominal value of UAH 10 per certificate and a yield of 9.5% per annum in US dollars. The planned issue is UAH 10 billion. The company will convert the acquired certificates of existing funds at the net asset value into certificates of the combined fund.
“Inzhur’s strategic goal for the next three years is to teach one million Ukrainians to invest at the most comfortable price: the new combined fund will make this possible,” the company said.
The new fund is expected to invest in real estate, land plots, corporate rights of companies, construction of new facilities, corporate bonds, and domestic government bonds. At the same time, retail parks should become a new area of investment.
“Retail Park is a very popular European form of ‘everything in one place’ establishments. Along highways and on the outskirts of cities, with excellent parking, there are various stores united by the concept of a shopping area. Inzhur is already purchasing land for its first retail park in the Kyiv region, exploring options, and conducting negotiations,” the statement said.
As Inzhur founder Andriy Zhurzhiy told Interfax-Ukraine, plots of 1.5-3 hectares in the suburbs with high traffic of potential buyers are being considered for future retail parks.
In addition, Inzhur is already preparing to acquire an existing shopping and entertainment center west of Kyiv worth about $36 million: technical, legal, and financial audits are being conducted, and documents are being prepared to obtain permission for the acquisition from the Antimonopoly Committee. It is noted that the shopping and entertainment center generates 15% of net operating income annually.
The first Ukrainian service for joint real estate acquisition, Inzhur REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), was launched in early 2022 before the war. As of August 7, six Inzhur REIT real estate funds managed assets worth UAH 3.56 billion, had 20,400 co-owners, and generated UAH 866.7 million in dividends.
The founder and investor of Inzhur is Andriy Zhurzhii, chairman of the supervisory board of the investment fund Zhurzhii Ventures. The fund owns the development company Smile Development (which built and sold more than 35 Silpo and Fora supermarkets to investors, as well as the Optimisto residential complex in the village of Hatne near Kyiv) and the asset management company Investment Partners, which manages assets worth UAH 45 billion in Ukraine and the European Union.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has allowed German logistics company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) to buy the intermodal terminal of Eurobridge Intermodal Terminal LLC, located in Batyevo, Zakarpattia region. The relevant permission was published on the AMCU website on August 7.
As previously reported, the new terminal will operate under the name HHLA Eurobridge Batiovo as a joint venture between HHLA International GmbH and Ukrainian investment company Fortior Capital LLC. HHLA will acquire a controlling stake and, together with its subsidiary METRANS, will continue to develop the terminal.
It is noted that the HHLA Eurobridge Batiovo terminal is located near the border with the EU at the intersection of several international railway corridors, in particular, Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. Thanks to its access to standard (1,435 mm) and broad (1,520 mm) gauge tracks, the terminal is a good solution for connecting European and Ukrainian logistics networks.
The owner of the Fortior Capital group and beneficiary of the Fortior Finance venture funds, Fortior 207, and Intermodal Terminal Evrobridge LLC is Nikolai Nesterenko, former director of new business development at SCM, who in 2021 bought out Fortior Capital’s stake from his partner Alexander Kamyshin, who was then appointed head of Ukrzaliznytsia.
A new poll shows that some 69% of respondents in Ukraine believe their country should seek an early negotiated end to the war with Russia, data obtained by the American Institute for Public Opinion Research Gallup shows.
“In the latest Gallup poll in Ukraine, conducted in early July, 69% of respondents favored an early negotiated end to the war, while 24% support continuing the fight until victory,” the organization’s website says.
The survey also shows that Ukrainians’ hopes of joining NATO and the European Union have faded and support for the US leadership has plummeted, Ukrainians still see the EU, the UK and the US as key players in ending the war. However, most doubt this will happen anytime soon.
“Although the vast majority of Ukrainians now favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, most are skeptical that active fighting will end anytime soon. One in four (25%) believe that active hostilities are likely to end within the next 12 months, although only 5% consider this “very likely.” More than two-thirds (68%) believe that active hostilities are unlikely to end within the next year,” the survey says.
It is noted that Ukrainians’ views on the US as a military ally have changed dramatically since the first months of the war.
“In 2025, 16% of Ukrainians approve of US leadership, while 73% express disapproval, a record high. All the goodwill that Washington accumulated in 2022, when 66% approved of U.S. leadership, has disappeared,” the institute reports.
Despite the sharp disapproval of US leadership, a majority of Ukrainians still believe Washington has a significant role to play in ending the war.
“70% believe that the US should play a ‘significant role’ in peace talks, which is in line with views relative to EU countries (75%) and the UK (71%).” Although some negotiations have recently taken place in Turkey, 55% of Ukrainians support its significant involvement, which is much lower than support for the EU, the UK and the US,” the pollsters inform.
But the perception of Germany has improved significantly this year. “The approval rating for Berlin’s leadership reached a record high of 63%, despite Germany’s more cautious stance in the early months of the war. Russia’s approval rating remains insignificant (1%), and China continues to receive low marks (8%), as it did at the beginning of the war,” the study said.
Ukraine has long expressed a desire to join NATO, which many see as crucial to the country’s long-term security.
“In the first two years of the war, there were high hopes for rapid NATO membership, with large majorities (64% in 2022 and 69% in 2023) expecting Ukraine to be admitted to the Alliance within the next decade. Hopes for early NATO membership fell to 51% last year and continue to decline, reaching 32% in 2025… Meanwhile, the percentage of those who believe Ukraine will never be admitted to NATO rose to 33%, the same percentage as those who expect to join within the next 10 years,” the American Institute for Public Opinion Research reported.
The survey results are based on a sample of 1,000 or more respondents aged 15 and older living in Ukraine. Some territories that are under Russian control and have a population of about 10% were excluded from surveys conducted after 2022 due to lack of access.
As reported, Russia’s conditional peace plan, which among other things includes a significant reduction of Ukraine’s army, refusal of NATO membership and the transfer of Ukrainian-controlled territories under Russian control, is categorically rejected by 76% of Ukrainians, can agree to Russia’s demands – 17%, as evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology during July 23 – August 4, 2025.
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.
