There has been no progress in the physical construction of power units 5 and 6 of the Khmelnitsky NPP due to the war, but Westinghouse is ready to start work immediately after it ends, according to Dan Lipman, president of Westinghouse’s Energy Systems business unit, in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“As soon as the war ends, we will start working, and I will be the first Westinghouse representative to arrive in Ukraine,” Lipman said.
The Khmelnitsky NPP is one of four operating nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
Westinghouse Electric Company is an American manufacturer of nuclear power equipment and a supplier of fuel for VVER reactors in Ukraine.
On October 22, Donetskoblgaz, a private joint-stock company engaged in gas supply and gasification, announced its intention to conclude a compulsory motor third-party liability insurance agreement with VUSO Insurance Company.
According to data in the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, the expected cost of purchasing insurance services is UAH 900,706 thousand, and the company’s price offer was UAH 369,562 thousand.
The tender was also attended by insurance companies Oranta – UAH 436.7 thousand, Universalna (UkrInsurance) – UAH 493,600, Arsenal Insurance – UAH 506,300, and Kraina – UAH 556,300.
compulsory motor third-party liability insurance, Donetskoblgaz, СК VUSO
Demand for motor fuel during large-scale power outages may increase by 10-20%, and the fuel market is fully prepared for this, according to Yuriy Kuchabsky, OKKO’s vice president of procurement, wholesale sales, and new business.
“If there is a blackout, we are prepared. We estimate that there may be a 10-20% jump in fuel sales. The market will cope with this very easily,” he said during the “Energy that keeps Ukraine going” forum organized by RBC-Ukraine, which was recently held in Kyiv.
According to him, the reason to expect the market to be ready for surges in demand is primarily that it is not monopolized and has been tempered by various trials, including the loss of supplies from Russia with the start of a full-scale invasion, power outages, and Russian strikes on the Kremenchug oil refinery and oil depots.
“There was a test of endurance at the beginning of the summer when the Kremenchug oil refinery was bombed and it effectively disappeared from the market in a single day. In the same month, the number of importers increased sharply, by about 50 companies. And there was no shortage, the market was flooded. So there will be no disaster now either. The market has also learned to operate without oil depots so as not to create additional targets for the enemy,” Kuchabsky explained.
OKKO Group brings together more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other services. The group’s flagship company is Halnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest gas station chains in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with nearly 400 gas stations.
The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Neil Crompton has been appointed as the new British ambassador to Ukraine.
“Mr. Crompton will take up his post in October 2025,” according to a statement on the British government’s website.
Crompton has been appointed ambassador to Ukraine to replace Martin Harris, Knight of the Order of the British Empire, who is moving to another position in the diplomatic service.
Neil Crompton is a British diplomat with many years of experience. From 2020 to 2025, he served as British ambassador to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. From 2015 to 2019, he was director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). From 2014 to 2015, he headed the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and from 2011 to 2014, the Department for South Asia and Afghanistan.
From 2007 to 2011, Crompton worked as an advisor on foreign and security policy in Washington. From 2005 to 2007, he coordinated Iran issues at the Foreign Office, and from 2003 to 2005, he headed the Iraq policy unit. He began his career at the Foreign Office in 1995.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/diplomats/1114739.html
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has allocated EUR46.2 million to support Ukrainian municipalities in restoring vital public infrastructure and providing essential services, backed by an EU guarantee under the European Commission’s investment program for Ukraine.
“This funding is directed where it is most needed: to restore and support essential public services for Ukrainian citizens. This support comes at a critical moment, as Russia intensifies its attacks on civilian infrastructure. The European Commission intends to continue its close cooperation with the European Investment Bank, using the Ukraine Assistance Program to provide vital support to Ukraine and its people,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation, and Simplification.
In particular, EUR 28 million has been allocated under Ukraine’s Urban Public Transport Projects I and II, which support the renewal of urban transport fleets with modern, energy-efficient vehicles. Thanks to this funding, Kyiv, Lviv, and Mykolaiv will receive new buses; Zaporizhzhia, Ternopil, and Kremenchuk will receive trolleybuses; Dnipro and Kamyanske will receive trams; and Uzhhorod will receive electric buses.
As part of Ukraine’s municipal infrastructure development program, the EIB has allocated EUR 13.3 million to modernize vital local services. The funding supports the reconstruction of public lighting systems in Dnipro and Kamyanske, the modernization of water supply and sewage systems in Lutsk, the improvement of energy efficiency in schools and kindergartens in Sumy, and the improvement of solid waste management in Lviv for the reclamation of the Hrybovychi landfill.
An additional EUR 4.9 million has been allocated under the Ukraine Public Buildings Energy Efficiency Program to support projects in the cities of Rivne, Korets, and Kovel. The sub-projects focus on the energy-efficient modernization of schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities, including insulation, window replacement, and heating system upgrades. This funding is complemented by an E5P investment grant for hospital buildings, such as the Kovel City District Territorial Medical Association, which helps improve energy efficiency, comfort, and quality of service in healthcare facilities.
The European Investment Bank has been operating in Ukraine since 2007. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Bank stepped up its financial support to help strengthen the country’s resilience and rebuild its infrastructure. Since then, the EIB has provided EUR4 billion in financing to Ukraine.
According to Serbian Economist, Montenegro will become a party to the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods from November 1, 2025, reports the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
The decision was made by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD). Once the convention enters into force, Montenegrin customs authorities will be able to perform the functions of customs offices of departure and destination for international shipments under the NCTS procedure.
The State Customs Service of Ukraine emphasized that the expansion of the network of countries participating in the Convention contributes to the development of uniform digital standards and reduces customs clearance time at borders.
The Common Transit Convention and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods are international agreements aimed at simplifying the movement of goods between countries through uniform customs procedures and the NCTS (New Computerized Transit System) electronic system.
Convention participants can file a transit declaration once for the entire route chain, which reduces administrative costs and speeds up the delivery of goods. For countries seeking integration with the EU, participation in the NCTS system opens up access to a single digital customs space and increases attractiveness for businesses, especially logistics and export-import companies.
Serbia officially acceded to the Convention on February 1, 2016. On that day, the country began practical application of the NCTS system.
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