PJSC Kyivvodokanal and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine are preparing for the pollution coming along the Desna River to Kyiv, which is forecast to reach Kyiv region on September 14-16, but treatment facilities should cope with it, said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svetlana Hrynchuk.
“If initially Ukrgidrometcenter predicted that the pollution will reach the water intakes of Kievshchyna somewhere on September 10-11, now this forecast has already shifted to 14-16. It should also be said that pollution is not recorded in Kyiv region,” she said on the air of the Unified National Telethon on Wednesday.
The Minister added that now the Department sees an improvement in the situation, water treatment facilities of the water channel should cope with this type of pollution.
“Also installed additional nets, additional such physical barriers to prevent and dead fish, in order to additionally not polluted,” – said Grinchuk.
According to her, the pollution recorded in the areas of the Desna River in Chernihiv region is no longer as homogeneous as it was before, and is fixed point by point.
According to Hrynchuk, to help all living things in the river, in particular fish, aeration units have been installed. Three of them worked in the Chernihiv area. It was decided to install two more such systems additionally from September 10.
“That is, to date the situation is controlled, we carry out constant monitoring and (take – IF-U) those measures that can improve the situation,” – summarized Hrynchuk.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has announced the continuation of military support for Ukraine, despite threats from Russia.
“When you have friends in need, you show your friendship, your solidarity and your support in full. This is what we do. This is what we will continue to do in the future, despite all the threats you might mention,” Plenkovic said at a press conference within the framework of the Crimean Platform in Kyiv on Wednesday, answering the question whether he was not afraid of threats from Russia while providing military support to Ukraine.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, the Croatian prime minister added that his country “is a NATO member, a member of the European Union, a country that knows when the right time comes to help our friends.”
“We will also support you in rebuilding your energy sector by providing you with the specific know-how that Croatia has in the field of demining. This is a huge task, and that is why we held the first International Conference of Heads of Mine Action last year in Croatia,” Plenković said.
“And, of course, what few countries can provide you with is the experience of our state prosecutors, our judges, our specialized police units in prosecuting war crimes,” he added.
The head of the Croatian government also noted that Croatia continues to accept refugees and war veterans from Ukraine for treatment and accommodation in its veterans’ centers, “and we will continue to do so, as well as to accept groups of Ukrainian children visiting Croatia.”
“We will continue to help you and assist you with military assistance, political assistance, our diplomatic initiatives, we are very happy to host you in Dubrovnik in early October, where we will hold a summit between Ukraine and the countries of Southeast Europe… You can count on Croatia in all the issues you face here today,” Plenkovic added.
As previously reported on the Croatian government’s website, during Plenkovic’s visit to Kyiv, a new package of bilateral assistance from Croatia to Ukraine was presented.
European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson says the European Union is ready to completely stop the transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transportation system after the expiration of the current contract in December this year.
“When I spoke with my colleagues in Ukraine, I made it clear that we are preparing for a situation where the transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia will expire by the end of this December. We have found alternative supply routes, and the Member States or their companies that are still receiving gas from Russia have in fact been granted two additional years compared to other companies that Russia has decided to stop supplying to in 2022,” the European Commissioner said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
At the same time, Simson stated that Ukraine’s gas transportation infrastructure is also part of the EU’s infrastructure, as part of the European gas is stored in Ukraine’s storage facilities, “which provide us with additional capacity.”
“Ukraine is also a gas producer, so we have to make sure that their infrastructure still has value. But my message is very clear: there is no need to look for any new ways to continue trading with Gazprom. Alternative supplies are available, and we are engaging with affected member states to show them that alternative routes will deliver the volumes they need,” she elaborated.
Simson also referred to the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said in late August that “Ukraine is not interested in extending the transit contract with Russia, and that European companies have the right to use Ukrainian infrastructure.”
According to the European Commissioner, her “main mission is to encourage companies that are still receiving Russian pipeline gas because they had contracts signed before the war to choose more predictable alternatives.”
Simson also cited figures showing that the share of Russian gas in EU imports fell from 45% in 2021 to 18% by June 2024, while imports from reliable partners such as Norway and the United States increased. In addition, the EU reduced gas demand by 138 billion cubic meters between August 2022 and May 2024.
“The EU reached its 90% winter gas storage target on August 19, 2024, well ahead of the November 1 deadline, and energy prices are more stable and remain well below the peak levels of the 2022 energy crisis,” she elaborated.
Anastasia Obraztsova, director of the Ukrainian Center for Cultural Research, has won the competition for the position of executive director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF). On Wednesday, the second stage of the competitive selection of the Foundation’s executive director took place, and according to the results of a secret ballot, Anastasia Obraztsova, director of the Ukrainian Center for Cultural Research, former head of the Directorate of Creative Industries of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, won the competition.
The UCF’s announcement states that the newly elected executive director will begin work after signing a contract with the Ministry of Culture.
In January-June 2024, PJSC Ukrnafta received UAH 10.6 billion in net profit.
“The results were confirmed by the audit of Crowe Erfolg Ukraine, Crowe Audit & Accounting Ukraine,” the company said on Wednesday.
During this period, the company paid UAH 20.2 billion to the state budget in the form of taxes, duties, dividends on the state share and customs payments.
“In total, since the beginning of state management and the start of the new management at the end of 2022 and as of today, the company has received almost UAH 40 billion in profit,” said Sergiy Koretsky, Ukrnafta’s CEO.
“Ukrnafta is the largest oil producer in Ukraine and the operator of the national network of filling stations. In March 2024, the company took over the management of Glusco assets and operates 545 filling stations – 460 owned and 85 managed.
The company is implementing a comprehensive program to restore operations and update the format of its filling stations. Since February 2023, Ukrnafta has been issuing its own fuel coupons and NAFTA cards, which are sold to legal entities and individuals through Ukrnafta-Postach LLC.
Ukrnafta’s largest shareholder is Naftogaz of Ukraine with a 50%+1 share. In November 2022, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to transfer to the state a share of corporate rights of the company owned by private owners, which is currently managed by the Ministry of Defense.
One of the largest operators of the Ukrainian grain market, JV Nibulon LLC, shipped the second batch of 63 thsd tonnes of wheat to Egypt under the tender of the General Authority for Supply of Goods of the Egyptian government GASC via the Danube Grain Corridor, the grain trader’s press service reported on its Facebook page.
According to the report, the grain was loaded on the EDFU vessel, owned by the Egyptian state-owned company National Navigation Company (NNC), at the anchorage PGM-2 of TTS Operator SRL (Constanza).
“Thanks to the well-coordinated and professional work of the Nibulon fleet team and our strategic partners, TTS (Transport Trade Services), the daily grain loading rate reached a record 18.2 thousand tons. This high productivity is very important, because along with a stable cargo flow, it allows us to reduce delivery costs,” said Nibulon’s Chief Logistics Officer Sergey Kalkutin, Director of Logistics at Nibulon.
He emphasized that such voyages allow the Danube Grain Corridor to compete with the ports of Greater Odesa.
In times of war and permanent danger, having a full-fledged alternative logistics channel for grain exports is not an additional option, but a vital necessity on which the world’s food security depends, Nibulon believes.
As reported, in August, Nibulon delivered the first shipment of Ukrainian grain to Egypt under the GASC.
Nibulon JV LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, a one-time storage capacity of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugs), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
“Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82 thousand hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries. In 2021, the grain trader exported the highest ever volume of 5.64 million tons of agricultural products, reaching record volumes of supplies to foreign markets in August – 0.7 million tons, in the fourth quarter – 1.88 million tons, and in the second half of the year – 3.71 million tons.
Nibulon’s losses due to Russia’s full-scale military invasion in 2022 exceeded $416 million.
Currently, the grain trader is operating at 32% of capacity, has created a special unit to clear agricultural land of mines, and was forced to move its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv.
