The Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (USPP) has demanded that the draft law No. 8087 “On Protection of Information Infrastructure” be finalized due to contradictions with the European legislation, excessive centralization and expansion of powers of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection (Gospetsvyaz).
According to information on its website, the relevant appeal was sent to the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, all parliamentary committees and factions and the president of the country following the results of public hearings organized by the USPP together with the Council of Advocates of Kyiv region with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the government, the legal community, representatives of anti-corruption bodies, the public, the IT business and experts.
“The main drawback of the draft law No. 8087 at the public hearings was called the fact that it significantly expands the powers of the State Spetsvyaz and assigns it unprecedentedly broad powers,” the USPP information says.
In particular, in its opinion, the supervisory body will have the right to carry out inspections of any enterprises, access to their facilities and premises, any of their documentation and information, to provide mandatory requirements to any business entity, regardless of whether it is a large corporation, IT-business enterprise or self-employed person (FLP, lawyer, etc.). In addition, the State Spetsvyaz will have the right to involve any other bodies, in particular the SBU and cyber police, in such inspections.
Other shortcomings in the appeal named inconsistency, “and sometimes even contradictions” with the EU Directive on Network and Information Security (NIS2 Directive), adopted on December 14, 2022 and coming into force in the EU on October 18, 2024.
“The NIS2 Directive does not apply to entities with national security activities and also establishes a clear list of criteria regarding the companies to which it applies. At the same time, Bill 8087 covers all state bodies and business entities without exception, burdening even the smallest of them with exorbitant administrative and financial burdens,” the USPP argues.
In its opinion, the bill forms one vertical of cybersecurity systems uniting all state information resources, which will make it more vulnerable to cyberattacks instead of more expedient decentralization.
In addition, the appeal criticizes the fact that the bill does not only affect cybersecurity in general and public sector cybersecurity in particular, but also largely concerns the private information sector, business climate, investment attractiveness, etc.
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The share of imported salt in the Ukrainian market in January-June 2023 reached 15%, 211.737 thousand tons were purchased on foreign markets for $46.196 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), the largest supplier of salt to Ukraine remains Turkey, which provided 32.4% of all salt imports in the first half of 2023 and earned $14.966 million.
Egypt and Romania accounted for 23.3% and 17.7% of shipments, for which these countries earned $10.745 million and $8.174 million, respectively.
A year earlier, the top three importers of Ukrainian salt were Turkey with a market share of 29.8% of supplies, Poland and Romania with 22.8% and 19.8% respectively. Their revenue from its sale amounted to $7.492 million, $5.722 million and $4.969 million, respectively.
The State Customs Service recalls that in 2022, the share of imported salt in the domestic market totaled 15%. On foreign markets Ukraine purchased 438.105 thousand tons of salt for the amount of $92.116 million.
In 2021, the level of imported salt in Ukraine did not exceed 2%, which amounted to 142.813 thousand tons at $12.920 million.
For export in this pre-war year, Ukrainian enterprises supplied 710.041 thousand tons of salt, from the sale of which they received $28.323 million.
In 2022, Ukraine reduced salt exports by 80% to 142.038 thousand tons compared to 2021, with revenues of $3.821mn.
The main buyers of Ukrainian salt in 2021 and 2022 were Poland (import share of 39.1% and 44.4%, respectively), Hungary (27.4% and 27.3%) and Romania (7.3% and 5.1%).
In the first half of 2023, exports of Ukrainian salt amounted to only 149 tons at $32 thousand. It was bought by Romania (93.5% of supplies) and Moldova (3.2%).
Earlier, the analytical “Club of Experts” analyzed the situation with export and import of salt in Ukraine, for more details see the link
Spread of cholera from uncontrolled territories is possible only if you consume contaminated water or direct contact with patients or vibrio carriers, cholera is not transmitted through airborne droplets, assured infectious disease doctor, medical consultant of CSD LAB laboratory Lesya Lozko.
“It has to be contact. If there are sick people there and it is possible to move them from the occupied territories to ours, then there is a risk of spread. Cholera is not transmitted by airborne droplets, that is, there must be either household contact or spread through contaminated water,” she explained to the agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
At the same time, the expert noted that so far there is no official confirmation of cholera outbreaks in non-controlled territories.
“Reliable information from the uncontrolled territories, unfortunately, we can not receive,” she said.
At the same time Lozko noted that now there is a seasonal increase in acute intestinal diseases, but it is within the standard seasonal fluctuations.
Commenting on the information about the detection of cholera-like vibrios, the expert noted that the outbreak of intestinal diseases can be prevented by observing sanitary and hygienic rules, in particular hand washing, drinking bottled water and thermal treatment of food products.
Lozko reminded that cholera-like vibrios do not cause cholera, but acute intestinal infections, which have symptoms characteristic of these diseases, but not so often lead to catastrophic dehydration of the body, which can provoke lethal outcome.
At the same time, Lozko noted that outbreaks of acute intestinal diseases are possible in closed groups, such as boarding schools and nursing homes, as well as among the military.
At the same time, the expert noted that there is no increase in demand for tests for acute intestinal diseases.
As reported, according to the General Staff of the AFU, in the temporarily occupied by the Russians cities of Skadovsk and Genichesk, Kherson region, the incidence of acute intestinal infections is increasing, the nature of the course of the disease has signs of cholera, but the occupation authorities do not recognize the increase in the number of diseases and are trying to hide the deterioration of the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the region. According to the General Staff, the occupants carry out hidden vaccination against cholera of representatives of the administrations and their close entourage.
In turn, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine records a constant and significant microbial contamination of surface water bodies belonging to the Black Sea, the rivers Dnieper, Ingul, Ingulets, Southern Bug and estuaries. Thus, according to the results of research, exceeding of sanitary-chemical, microbiological and toxicological characteristics was recorded. Among the dangerous – salmonella, eggs and larvae of helminths, Escherichia coli, rotavirus. Cholera-like vibrios are also detected.
Norway has decided to increase military support to Ukraine this year by NOK2.5 billion ($249 million) to NOK10 billion ($950 million) as part of the previously adopted Nansen program on military and civilian support to Ukraine of NOK15 billion annually, the Norwegian government website said Tuesday.
“Ukraine is now in urgent need of additional military support and materials. Norway is therefore increasing its military support to Ukraine by NOK2.5 billion to NOK10 billion in 2023,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press conference marking the opening of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
In addition, Norway has also decided to increase its contribution to NATO’s Ukraine support fund to NOK300 million ($29 million) annually.
“Norway is increasing its contribution to the NATO support fund for Ukraine. Norway will contribute NOK300 million in 2023 and contribute a total of NOK1.5 billion over five years. This is a clear signal of long-term support for Ukraine’s reforms, which will further connect Ukraine to the Alliance,” the Norwegian prime minister said.
Stere also spoke about the decision to increase Norway’s investment in its own defense to a minimum of 2% of GDP.
The summit will also decide on the establishment of a NATO center for critical undersea infrastructure. “The war in Ukraine has shown once again that the protection of critical infrastructure is important for security policy. As the largest supplier of gas to Europe, Norway has a special responsibility to protect submarine infrastructure… NATO is now establishing a separate center for the protection of critical submarine infrastructure,” the Norwegian prime minister told the summit.
According to Støre, the Vilnius summit “will be the most important NATO summit of our time.”
“Among other things, we will undertake a historic increase in NATO’s collective defense capabilities with regional defense plans that have been updated for the first time since the Cold War,” he said.
The prime minister said the summit’s decisions will be important for both the entire Alliance and Norway’s security, and there are at least four reasons why the summit is crucial for the Norwegian state. “First, it will strengthen NATO’s ability to fulfill its primary task, namely the defense of member states in crisis and war. Second, the increased defense contribution means a clear strengthening of its own preparedness, security and defense capabilities. Thirdly, the summit will decide on the establishment of a separate center for the protection of undersea infrastructure, which is of fundamental importance to Norway. And fourth, the membership of Finland, and now Sweden, means a stronger Northern Europe in NATO,” Støre emphasized.
Ukraine in the first six months of 2023 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 4.4 times compared to the same period of 2022 – to $7.699 million ($1.355 million in June), aluminum and aluminum products increased by 25.9% to $168.234 million ($31.461 million).
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products in January-June this year decreased by 0.9% year-on-year to $48.032 million ($8.297 million in June), lead and lead products decreased by 5.7% to $7.806 million ($1.121 million), nickel and nickel products totaled $125,000 ($18,000), compared to $1.266 million in the first half of 2022.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Ukraine in 2022 reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 49.9% compared to 2021 – to $59.754 million, aluminum and aluminum products – by 33.4%, to $340.398 million.
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products for 2022 decreased 42.7% from 2021 to $96.972 million, lead and lead products decreased 68.7% to $11.970 million, and nickel and nickel products decreased 73.9% to $1.268 million.
In January-June 2023, Ukrburgaz specialists (a division of Ukrgasvydobuvannya JSC) drilled more than 157 thousand meters, which is a record six-month figure for the last 15 years, the press service of Naftogaz of Ukraine reports.
“Despite the war, we not only continue to drill new wells, produce natural gas and fill underground gas storage facilities, but also work to increase production performance,” said Oleksiy Chernyshov, Head of Naftogaz Group.
The press service also clarified that in April 2023, a record for monthly penetration was set – 32.4 thousand meters.
As reported, in February, the head of UGV Oleg Tolmachev said that in 2023 the company plans to increase drilling by 1.5 times compared to last year – up to 300 thousand meters.
“In 2022, Ukrgasvydobuvannya drilled 47 new wells, compared to 50 in 2021.
“Naftogaz aims to increase its own natural gas production by 1 bcm in 2023 – up to 13.5 bcm. In 2022, UGV produced 12.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas (commercial), which is 3% less than in 2021.
NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine owns 100% of Ukrgasvydobuvannya shares.
