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.
In 2025, the state-owned enterprise Lesy Ukrainy earned more than UAH 8 billion in profits, paid more than UAH 15 billion in taxes, and invested about UAH 2 billion in its restoration and development, according to the company’s CEO Yuriy Bolokhovets on Facebook.
He also noted that during the war, foresters were able to implement the president’s “Green Country” program and planted 1 billion trees, saved tens of thousands of hectares of self-seeded and undistributed forests, and reduced the area of fires by four times despite constant shelling.
“The company’s performance is not a coincidence or a gift of fate. It is the result of a consistent policy of strong centralized management and control, transparent procurement, and open and competitive sales,” Bolokhovets emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that “the pre-reform fragmented and corrupt system did not achieve even a tenth of the results of the Lesy Ukrainy state enterprise, but remained a source of enrichment for the select few.” That is why, according to the head of the state-owned enterprise, forest reform still faces fierce resistance, as shadow schemes and profits always find supporters. The remnants of the old system are finding new allies, he explained.
“The pressure and persecution that continued this year are not about me personally. These are attempts to stop the changes that, for the first time since independence, have made forests a truly state resource,” emphasized the CEO of Lesy Ukrainy, thanking the team of foresters who have come through this year with dignity, maintained unity, and delivered results.
Among the plans for 2026, Bolokhovets mentioned the digitization of management, new global control systems, mechanization and increased harvesting, and large-scale demining projects.
The Ukrainian Christmas tree market continues to decline, both in terms of the number of trees and demand. Thus, the State Forestry Agency has planned to sell 991 thousand Christmas trees this year. This is 8% less than last year. At the same time, Ukrainians are buying Christmas trees less and less – only 39.8 thousand Christmas trees were sold as of mid-December. This is 11% less than in the same period last year. Most Christmas trees for sale are traditionally harvested in Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions.
991 thousand Christmas trees were harvested for sale this season in Ukraine. This is 8% less than last year.
However, demand for live Christmas trees is falling even faster than supply. Thus, only 39.9 thousand Christmas trees were sold in Ukraine as of mid-December 2025. This is 11% less than in the same period last year. For comparison, during the previous season, forestry enterprises sold 153.7 thousand trees, which is 38% less than in the 2023-2024 season and almost a quarter less than in 2022-2023.
The largest volumes of holiday trees for sale this season are concentrated in two regions: Vinnytsia region – 187 thousand Christmas trees, or 19% of the total, and Zhytomyr region – 142 thousand, or 14%. At the same time, Zhytomyr region remains the leader in terms of land area for growing conifers – 640 hectares. This is almost a quarter of the total Ukrainian area. Over the past four years, it has decreased by 9%, but even in this area, about 1.9 million trees grow.
2753.5 hectares is the total area where conifers are grown in Ukraine for the New Year holidays. This is 6% less than last year and 35% less than in 2021. In some regions, the decline is particularly dramatic: in Ivano-Frankivsk region, the area decreased from 9.6 hectares in 2021 to only 1.7 hectares in 2025.
Along with the land, the number of trees is also decreasing. While in 2021 there were almost 12.4 million conifers in Ukraine, now there are about 7.8 million.
Amid the shrinking legal market, the number of illegal logging operations has also fallen sharply. Only 34 cases of illegal harvesting of Christmas trees were recorded as of early December 2025. One third of the total number was detected in Kharkiv region – 10 cases. In total, there were 328 such violations last season.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/legal-christmas-trees-2025
