Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Investments in European real estate have risen to 54 bln euros, with nearly one-third of capital flowing into residential assets — Savills

The Experts Club analytical center analyzed data from the international consulting firm Savills on real estate market trends in the world’s leading countries and identified a number of trends in the European real estate market in 2026.

Investment in European real estate reached 54 billion euros in the second quarter of 2026, up 7.7% year-over-year, according to Savills data.

Despite the overall increase in transaction volume, Savills characterizes the recovery of the European market as uneven. Escalating macroeconomic and geopolitical risks have forced investors to raise their standards for property quality.

Capital is now primarily directed toward real estate that provides a stable cash flow, has a transparent market value, and is located in segments with long-term structural demand.

One of the main beneficiaries of this new investment strategy has been so-called “living real estate.”

In the first half of 2026, multifamily rental housing, specialized student dormitories, senior living facilities, and housing for the elderly already accounted for 29% of all real estate investments in Europe.

Thus, nearly one in every three euros of institutional capital directed toward European real estate went to properties directly related to residential living.

The growing interest in this sector is linked to a housing shortage in many major European cities, rising rents, demographic changes, and relatively stable income streams compared to some traditional types of commercial real estate.

At the same time, investor attitudes toward office properties are shifting. High-quality, modern office buildings in central business districts remain in demand, while outdated and poorly located properties are significantly harder to sell or finance.

According to Savills, the market is effectively divided into two types of assets. In the first category, investors are willing to compete for high-quality properties with reliable tenants and predictable income. In the second, real estate with a poor location, high future costs, or uncertain demand may remain outside the scope of investment interest for a long time.

Savills notes that Europe remains an important destination for global capital, but investment requirements have become significantly stricter.

Markets where a significant price correction has already occurred and a clearer entry point for investors has emerged have the best chances of attracting capital. An additional advantage is the limited supply of new properties and stable demand from tenants.

“The recovery is taking place in stages and is driven by investor confidence in specific deals, rather than a general willingness to take risks,” note Savills analysts.

Thus, the European real estate market is gradually emerging from a period of sharp interest rate hikes and asset revaluation; however, the new investment cycle differs significantly from the previous one. Capital is increasingly being directed not simply toward real estate as an asset class, but toward specific segments with the most predictable long-term demand.

Source: Savills, Global Capital Markets Research Q2 2026 — Europe.

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“DykankaMlyn” has modernized its production facilities in partnership with Bühler to produce flour with specified characteristics

The Ukrainian flour milling company “DykankaMlyn” has completed the latest phase of its production modernization in partnership with the Swiss technology company Bühler, installing an automated system for micro-dosing ingredients into flour.

The new equipment allows for the automatic addition of dry gluten, vitamins, and other micro-components based on the actual flow of flour. This enables the company to produce products with specified characteristics and expands its capacity to fulfill export orders.

The system consists of flow scales, two micro-dosing units, and an integrated control system. The flow scales continuously measure the volume of flour, after which the automated system calculates the required amount of ingredients. The operator sets the desired addition percentage, and the subsequent dosing is adjusted automatically.

The equipment was installed without shutting down the mill. The mechanical work took about two to three days, while the electrical connection and commissioning took about a week.

“Our collaboration with Bühler began many years ago with roller sharpening and technical consulting. Then came the optical sorter, followed by two inline whiteness meters and an automatic moistening system. When the question of the next stage of modernization arose, we already had our own experience working with Bühler equipment and understood what results we expected,” noted Volodymyr Lenets, head of “DykankaMlyn.”

A unique feature of the project was that the Bühler equipment was integrated into an existing mill from another manufacturer. This approach allows the company to modernize individual process units in stages, without having to completely overhaul production, and to spread capital expenditures across several phases.

According to Andriy Sharan, CEO of Bühler Ukraine, the “DykankaMlyn” project demonstrates the ability to integrate modern technological solutions into existing production lines and gradually increase the company’s level of automation.

One of the practical applications of the new system will be adjusting the gluten content in flour to meet the requirements of specific customers. For the baking and confectionery industries, stable protein and gluten levels are key characteristics of raw materials, as they directly affect the dough’s processing properties.

Another area of application is the production of fortified flour with added vitamin and mineral complexes. Such products may be in demand in foreign markets, as in a number of countries, the fortification of flour with certain vitamins and minerals is mandated by national legislation or food program standards.

Automated dosing allows manufacturers to control the accuracy of ingredient addition and their uniform distribution in the finished product, which is important for confirming compliance with export requirements.

“Microdosing can solve a production challenge while also serving as a commercial tool. If a company can demonstrate the accuracy and uniformity of its product, this strengthens its position in negotiations with buyers and opens up more opportunities to operate in export markets,” Sharan noted.

“DykankaMlyn” specializes in the production of wheat flour and semolina. The company’s products are sold in Ukraine and exported. The production facility operates its own laboratory to monitor the quality of grain and finished products.

Bühler is a Swiss technology group and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of equipment and integrated solutions for the grain processing and food industries. In Ukraine, the company collaborates with flour mills, grain processing plants, and food manufacturers.

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U.S. accounted for more than half of global real estate investment in second quarter

The Experts Club analytical center analyzed data from the international consulting firm Savills on real estate market trends in the world’s leading countries. Global real estate investment in the second quarter of 2026 reached approximately $250 billion, up 13% compared to the same period last year, according to data from the international consulting firm Savills.

The data was published on August 25 in the report “Savills Takes Stock: Global Capital Markets Research Q2 2026.” According to the company’s assessment, the active portfolio of deals nearing completion suggests that the market will continue to recover in the second half of the year.

Savills estimates that by the end of 2026, global real estate investment volume could increase by approximately 16%.

However, the market recovery is uneven. Investors have become more selective and are concentrating their capital on properties with predictable cash flow, clear value, and long-term demand.

According to a study cited by Experts Club, the U.S. remains the largest market. In the second quarter, investment in U.S. real estate reached approximately $131 billion, a 20% increase from the previous year.

Separately, Savills notes a sharp increase in large portfolio transactions in North America. Their volume reached $35 billion, up 60% year-over-year. By comparison, transactions involving individual properties grew by approximately 10%.

The growth in portfolio investments is linked to the return of large institutional capital and investors’ desire to immediately secure a large-scale presence in promising segments. Data centers, self-storage facilities, and real estate for the elderly are of particular interest.

The European market also continued its recovery. The volume of transactions in the second quarter totaled 54 billion euros, up 7.7% compared to the second quarter of 2025.

In the Asia-Pacific region, investment grew even faster—by 18%, to $46 billion. For the first half of the year, investment volume in the region grew by 25%.

Particularly notable growth in the Asia-Pacific region is being observed in the industrial and logistics real estate sectors. In the second quarter, investment in this segment rose by 17%, and for the first half of the year as a whole—by 28%.

At the same time, interest in student housing and other types of residential real estate is growing. Savills attributes this, in particular, to increased international student mobility and the desire of institutional investors to build large portfolios of income-generating properties.

However, Savills cautions that the market’s recovery cannot yet be considered a widespread new investment boom. Geopolitical tensions, the situation in the Middle East, borrowing costs, and uncertain economic prospects are forcing investors to be much more selective when choosing properties.

In early 2026, deteriorating investment sentiment amid the conflict surrounding Iran even led to negative seasonally adjusted quarterly investment trends. However, the impact of this factor turned out to be less severe than market participants had feared.

According to Savills, the current stage of the cycle is characterized by the return of primarily experienced and well-capitalized players. Therefore, the main factor driving investment decisions is no longer the expectation of general growth in real estate prices, but rather the quality of a specific asset and its ability to generate stable income.

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S1 REIT has registered S1 DNA fund with issuance of 100 mln UAH for investments in income-generating residential properties in Kyiv

The investment company S1 REIT has registered a new portfolio fund, S1 “Kyiv Income-Generating Real Estate” (S1 DNA), which will invest in income-generating residential real estate in the capital—including both existing properties and those currently under development.

The new fund’s offering size is 100 million UAH, the company announced on September 2, 2026.

The projected yield for S1 DNA is stated at 9% per annum in dollar terms, taking into account two components: current rental income and potential appreciation in property value.

The minimum initial investment will be 122,000 UAH, and subsequent investments can be made starting at 1,000 UAH. S1 REIT plans to begin the pre-sale of fund certificates in mid-September 2026.

The new fund’s strategy involves building a portfolio consisting of several properties. Initially, the portfolio will include apartments in the income-generating buildings S1 VDNG and S1 Obolon.

S1 VDNG is an existing rental property near the “Vystavkovyi Tsentr” metro station in Kyiv. Its apartments are leased out and generate a steady cash flow.

S1 Obolon is under construction at 18 Obolonskyi Avenue, near the “Minska” metro station. Upon completion, the apartments are also planned to be used as income-generating real estate. For investors, the asset during the construction phase is expected to offer, first and foremost, capitalization potential driven by appreciation in property value.

Thus, S1 DNA combines two sources of potential income: rental payments from apartments already in operation and an increase in the value of properties currently under development.

“By holding a stake in the fund, an investor becomes a co-owner of each individual apartment in two buildings at different addresses. The fund combines the present and the future: today it consists of apartments in two income-generating buildings, and in the future, the fund will be expanded with new properties,” said Igor Gifes, CEO of S1 REIT.

According to him, the transition from investing in a single building to a portfolio model should allow for the diversification of risks across several real estate properties.

The company attributes the decision to launch the new fund, in particular, to the completion of the placement of S1 VDNG fund certificates in early June 2026. Following the full placement of this fund, S1 REIT decided to offer investors a product whose assets will not be concentrated in a single building.

The S1 REIT portfolio also includes the S1 Obolon fund, with a projected annual yield of 10% in dollar terms, and the S1 Plaza Poznyaki commercial real estate fund, with a stated yield of 10.4%. The S1 VDNG fund, whose offering has already been completed, has a projected annual yield of 8.2%.

In June 2026, S1 REIT reported that the total assets under management of its funds had reached 100 million UAH.

S1 REIT works with income-generating residential and commercial real estate in Kyiv. The company’s business model is based on the acquisition of real estate by collective investment funds, its subsequent professional management, and the distribution of the resulting income among investment certificate holders. Projects are implemented in collaboration with the developer Standard One and the management company S1 Ukraine.

The stated fund returns are projected and calculated by the company based on a financial model that takes into account rental income, fund expenses, and the potential appreciation of its assets.

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SEC Proposes Separate Capital-Raising Framework for Crypto Projects in U.S

According to Fixygen, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a new framework called “Regulation Crypto Assets,” specifically designed to facilitate capital raising by cryptocurrency projects.

The proposal provides for two frameworks.

Small projects will be able to raise up to $5 million over four years, while larger ones can raise up to $75 million every 12 months without going through the full standard securities offering registration process.

At the same time, issuers must disclose information to investors and will continue to be subject to laws regarding fraud and market manipulation.

The SEC is also proposing a safe harbor mechanism that, provided certain requirements are met, allows the crypto asset itself to be separated from the initial investment contract.

Comments on the draft are being accepted through October 20, 2026.

If the rules are adopted, the U.S. will, for the first time, have a separate, full-fledged capital-raising procedure specifically for crypto startups.

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Ukrzaliznytsia’s passenger traffic rose to 8.14 mln people this summer

JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) transported 8.14 million passengers over the three summer months, compared to 8.07 million during the same period last year and 7.94 million in the summer of 2024, according to a company announcement on its Telegram channel on Thursday.

According to UZ, 628,400 children and 90,000 military personnel visiting their families traveled by train between June and August this year. A total of 22,000 people with disabilities, including veterans, traveled in accessible railcars. A total of 357,000 passengers purchased tickets through the auto-renewal system.

“This result once again demonstrates a more efficient use of the rolling stock: additional ‘rotational’ trains and minimal downtime for cars, especially in frontline regions,” Ukrzaliznytsia noted.
It is noted that over the summer, “UZ” put 20 new railcars into service, while losing seven during this period.

According to Ukrzaliznytsia, there were four and a half passenger requests per seat in June–August. The top five most popular routes based on the number of ticket searches in the company’s app were Lviv–Kyiv, Przemyśl–Kyiv, Kyiv–Kharkiv, Kholm–Kyiv, and Kyiv–Dnipro.
Among other things, passengers exchanged more than 300 million “hugs” for discounts in the “Rail Friends” loyalty program during the summer and also earned about 500,000 rewards.

For its part, the Ministry of Recovery, Transport, and Infrastructure reported that the railway is entering the fall season with a schedule that has been updated and adapted to the current needs of Ukrainians, while also taking the security situation into account.

“This year’s summer season has been yet another challenge for the Ukrainian railway. Russia is attempting to disrupt domestic logistics. At the same time, railway workers continue to optimize operations in accordance with the security situation, quickly adjust logistics, and make the most of the available rolling stock,” the ministry emphasized.

As reported, citing data from “Ukrzaliznytsia,” since the start of the war, the enemy has carried out 6,100 attacks on its infrastructure, more than 1,500 of which occurred between January 1 and August 20, 2026.

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