Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

After glamour of  Oscars: Photos of  ceremony hall littered with trash have surfaced online

According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, photos of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles after the conclusion of the 98th Academy Awards ceremony have been shared on social media, showing a large amount of trash, film journalist and editor of the Next Best Picture website Matt Neglia reported on social media platform X.

“Clean up on aisle ALL,” Neglia wrote, posting a photo of the auditorium after the ceremony.

The photo quickly went viral and sparked a wave of discussion. Users noted the contrast between the glamorous atmosphere of the Oscars, the red carpet, and the guests’ evening attire—and what the auditorium looked like after the event ended.

The photo shows snack wrappers, cups, bottles, and other trash scattered on the floor and between the rows of seats. In the comments, some users criticized this scene, noting that public talk about the environment and responsible consumption seems contradictory against the backdrop of such images.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony took place on the night of March 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

As reported, Sean Penn missed the 2026 Oscars: his absence is linked to a trip to Ukraine. The host of the 2026 Oscars, Conan O’Brien, opened the ceremony with a series of sharp jokes about Hollywood, politics, and streaming platforms. The documentary film “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”, which explores Russian propaganda regarding the war against Ukraine and its impact on schoolchildren, won the Academy Award in the category of “Best Documentary Feature.”

https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1152008.html

 

Opera concert featuring Ukrainian soprano Lyudmila Monastyrska took place at National Palace of Arts Ukraine

On March 14, a grand opera concert took place at the National Palace of Arts of Ukraine, featuring the world-renowned Ukrainian soprano Lyudmila Monastyrska, accompanied by the symphony orchestra and choir of the T. G. Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine under the baton of conductor Mykola Dyadyura.

According to reporters from the “Culture” section of the “Interfax-Ukraine” agency reporting from the scene, the palace hall was completely full that evening. The concert drew a large audience of classical music enthusiasts, members of the diplomatic corps, the cultural community, journalists, and distinguished guests.

Among those present were Ukrainian Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization Anastasia Bondar, People’s Deputy from the “Servant of the People” faction Yulia Hryshyna, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, the media, and public figures.

“Culture is one of the languages through which Ukraine speaks to the world. We invited heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of international organizations accredited in Ukraine to the concert at the National Palace of Arts ‘Ukraine,’” wrote Ukrainian Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna on her Facebook page.

According to her, on the eve of her performances at the world’s leading opera stages—the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires—the prima donna presented an evening of world opera classics in Kyiv. Such events, Berezhna emphasized, are of particular importance for cultural diplomacy, as it is through music, art, and shared cultural experiences that Ukraine communicates its history, values, and strength to the world.

The minister also emphasized that the Ukrainian opera school has a rich tradition that has developed over the centuries—from composer Semen Hulak-Artemovsky and the legendary Solomiya Krushelnytska to the outstanding voices of the 20th century. Today, this tradition is carried on by contemporary Ukrainian artists who successfully represent Ukrainian culture on the world’s most prestigious stages.

Yulia Hryshyna, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, who was also among the evening’s guests, shared her impressions of the concert.

“When music plays, the soul sings. And it is in moments like these that inspiration to move forward emerges,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

According to Hryshyna, the concert was a truly special evening that combined majestic music, flawless vocals, and the magic of the live sound of the National Opera of Ukraine’s symphony orchestra.

Opera singers David Axelrod, Vitaliy Bilyi, and Vlad Sitnik performed alongside Lyudmila Monastyrska. The evening concluded with a performance of Igor Shamo’s iconic song for the capital, “How Can I Not Love You, My Kyiv!”, which the artists performed together with the choir of the National Opera of Ukraine. The audience greeted the final composition with a standing ovation.

Serhiy Perman served as the project’s creator and artistic director, Dmytro Saratsky as music producer, Anastasia Buzhanska as production director, Anton Kyrychuk as technical director, and Oleg Yakovlev as executive producer. Sound for the concert was provided by “Terminal,” and lighting by “Feeria.” The organizers also expressed their gratitude to Petro Chupryna, General Director of the National Opera of Ukraine, for his support of the project.

Lyudmila Monastyrska is one of the most famous Ukrainian opera singers in the world. Her voice can be heard on the world’s leading opera stages, as well as in European opera houses. The artist’s performances have become an important part of Ukraine’s cultural presence in the world, as through music she represents Ukrainian art to an international audience.

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Montenegro’s economic growth in 2025 will reach approximately 3%

According to Serbian Economist, Montenegro is entering 2026 with relatively stable GDP growth, but with significant external imbalances and a growing role for fiscal policy as the main instrument of macroeconomic regulation. The country uses the euro as legal tender and is effectively deprived of standard monetary policy tools, so the key challenges for the economy lie in the budget, debt management, and structural reforms.

According to preliminary statistical data, Montenegro’s real GDP grew by 3.1% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025. Estimates from international organizations generally fall within a range of around 3%: the IMF mission, for example, indicated a baseline growth forecast of 3.2% for 2025, attributing this, in particular, to a moderate tourism season.

Prices rose moderately in 2025, but inflationary pressures intensified by the fall. According to MONSTAT, consumer prices in January–November 2025 were on average 3.9% higher than in the same period a year earlier, and in December 2025, inflation stood at 4.0% year-on-year.

According to MONSTAT’s labor force survey, the unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2025 stood at 10.1% (with an employment rate of 56.0%). For an economy with a high share of services, this indicates a persistent structural gap between seasonal employment and stable jobs outside the tourist peak.

The IMF expected the general government deficit to widen to 3.6% of GDP in 2025 (after 2.9% of GDP in 2024). At the same time, the debt trajectory appeared manageable throughout the year: according to the Ministry of Finance, total public debt stood at €4.76 billion, or 58.59% of GDP, as of the end of September (compared to 61% of GDP at the end of 2024, according to the same source).

Tourism once again confirmed its status as a key generator of foreign exchange revenue.

The Central Bank reported that in January–November 2025, the number of tourist arrivals rose by 5% year-on-year to 2.67 million, and revenue from foreign tourists over the nine-month period reached €1.328 billion, slightly above the level of the previous year.

But it is the external environment that remains the main source of risk: the IMF expected the current account deficit to widen to approximately 18% of GDP in 2025, attributing this to a decline in electricity exports, signs of a weaker tourist season, and rising import demand.

The baseline scenario for 2026 is sustained moderate growth, provided that fiscal policy offsets external shocks and the economy begins to gradually shift from consumption to investment and diversification. Risks center on the external deficit and fiscal commitments, while opportunities lie in infrastructure projects, the energy sector, and the reforms necessary for European integration.

https://t.me/relocationrs/2441

 

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“Ukrstal Zaporizhzhia” reduced its net loss to 4.8 mln UAH in 2025

PJSC “Ukrstal Zaporizhzhia Steel Structure Plant” ended 2025 with a net loss of UAH 4.821 million, compared to UAH 15.803 million in 2024.

According to the company’s filing with the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), a proposal will be made at the shareholders’ meeting scheduled for April 17, 2026, to leave the net loss for 2025 uncovered.

According to the agenda, shareholders will review the supervisory board’s report for the past year, approve the results of financial and economic activities and the procedure for covering losses, as well as decide on the use of the company’s reserve capital.

The draft resolutions, copies of which are available to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, propose, in particular, that the net loss incurred by the company as a result of its financial and operational activities in 2025, amounting to UAH 4,821,120 thousand, be left uncovered. Additionally, regarding the decision on the use of the company’s reserve capital, it is proposed to utilize the reserve capital, which as of December 31, 2025, amounts to 80,038 thousand UAH, specifically to cover losses.

PJSC “Metal Structures Plant ”Ukrstal Zaporizhzhia“ is the legal successor to PJSC ”Zaporizhzhia Metal Structures Plant” (the name change took place in April 2017). Its primary business activity is the production of structural steelwork.

According to the State Registration Service data for the fourth quarter of 2025, JSC “Closed Undiversified Venture Corporate Investment Fund ‘Rift’ owns 56.303% of the shares of PJSC ”Metal Structures Plant “Ukrstal Zaporizhzhia,” and Technological Renaissance LLC holds 42.9107%.

The authorized capital of the private joint-stock company is UAH 137.424 million, with a par value of UAH 0.01 per share.

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Kyivstar is interested in entering digital banking market

Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, is interested in expanding its digital growth strategy by entering the digital banking market and is engaged in discussions with the National Bank of Ukraine, company representatives said during a conference call on Friday regarding its 2025 financial results.

“If you look at the portfolio of Sasha (Kyivstar President and CEO Alexander Komarov) and Boris (CFO Boris Dolgushin), you’ll see one obvious element that’s missing, namely digital banking. “I think this is the part that inspires us all for the next few years,” said Kaan Terzioglu, chairman of Kyivstar’s supervisory board and CEO of VEON, the company’s majority owner.

“We’re working on it. We are in dialogue with the National Bank of Ukraine. We want to resolve this issue, but, of course, you know, we want to combine this with a very clear strategy,” Komarov noted in turn.

According to him, the question is what role Kyivstar wants to play, because there are different types of licenses and different approaches.

“So for us, this is… not just a matter of regulation; it’s also a matter of the right strategy for entering this segment,” emphasized Kyivstar’s President and CEO.

As reported, Kyivstar served 22.4 million mobile subscribers and 1.2 million “Home Internet” subscribers as of the end of 2025. In 2025, the company increased its EBITDA by 30% to UAH 27 billion, with revenue growing by 30.3% to UAH 48.2 billion; including a 23.1% increase in EBITDA to UAH 7.2 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, with revenue growing by 30.1% to UAH 13.5 billion.

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“Handelsmobil Investment Ukraine” will hold a shareholders’ meeting on April 7

According to Fixygen, Handelsimobilen Investment Ukraine PJSC will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders on April 7, 2026, in Kyiv at 34 Khreshchatyk Street. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m., with registration of participants from 11:30 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

According to the published notice, shareholders will review the executive director’s report and the annual report for 2025, discuss profit distribution, dividend payments, approval of significant transactions, and amendments to the list of persons authorized to act on behalf of the company. The company proposes to approve dividends in the amount of 21 UAH per ordinary registered share, or 4.425 million UAH in total, with the record date set for April 23 and the payment period from April 23 to October 7, 2026.

Separately, the agenda includes a matter regarding changes to information in the Unified State Register: it is proposed to remove Volodymyr Stadnyk from the list of persons authorized to act on behalf of the company without a power of attorney, as well as to clarify the powers of Lidiia Muravska as a non-executive director; It is proposed to appoint Executive Director Inna Kutuzova as the person authorized to register the changes with the state registry.

PJSC “Handelsimmobil Investment Ukraine” was registered in December 2000 in Kyiv. The company’s primary activity is the leasing and operation of its own or leased real estate. According to Opendatabot, the company’s revenue in 2025 amounted to 23.53 million UAH, net profit—4.62 million UAH, assets at year-end—19.03 million UAH, and authorized capital—10.54 million UAH.

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