State-owned Oschadbank and the UPG gas station chain have signed a cooperation agreement that provides for business loans on special terms for the purchase of motor fuel, according to Yuriy Voychak, director of Oschadbank’s sales department.
“We were the first among all Ukrainian banks to sign a cooperation agreement that allows all UPG customers who need it to purchase fuel using credit funds. Loan terms: 0.01% per annum, for up to 12 months, unsecured. The loan amount is up to 20 million UAH,“ Voychak said during the Energy Finance forum organized by Oschadbank in Kyiv on Wednesday.
”This means that farmers or other UPG clients can apply for financing. We have liquidity, we have sufficient funds, the interest rate is minimal, and the loan is provided without collateral—the procedure is as simple as possible,” the bank representative explained.
He noted that the bank and the network are expecting loan applications from businesses. Voychak clarified that the agreement between the bank and UPG was signed about a month ago.
In a comment to Energoreforma, he noted that the bank is negotiating with other networks to conclude similar agreements.
“WOG and OKKO have started approaching us. We are in negotiations,” said Voychak.
According to him, such an agreement creates a three-way benefit: the client has fuel, the bank has a client to lend to, and the gas station network increases its fuel sales.
UPG network owner Volodymyr Petrenko told Energoreforma that, according to his information, approximately 60 million UAH worth of fuel has already been sold under the loan agreement.
“After the rise in fuel prices, roughly twice as much money is needed to purchase it. Thanks to the loan, we can avoid using working capital for this. Our goal is to give consumers the opportunity to purchase the fuel we import from the U.S. and appreciate its high quality,” said Petrenko.
As reported, UPG (Ukrainian Petrol Group) is a Ukrainian group of companies specializing in the trade of petroleum products. UPG ranks among the top three largest operators in Ukraine by number of stations. The group has its own logistics infrastructure and conducts direct fuel supplies from leading refineries in Europe and the U.S. The founder of UPG is Volodymyr Petrenko.
Earlier, Oschadbank noted in its press release regarding a new business program with UPG—which allows entrepreneurs to purchase fuel for seasonal work or ongoing operations without straining working capital—that its main advantage is a preferential interest rate of 0.01% per annum for the first four months of the loan.
BUSINESS, FUEL, LENDING, OSCHADBANK, UPG
Silpo-Food LLC, which operates the Silpo chain and is part of the Fozzy Group, intends to acquire a number of assets, including real estate and equipment, belonging to the Eurotek Group, which recently announced the closure of its supermarket chains.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine will review Silpo-Food’s relevant statements regarding the acquisition of control over these assets at a meeting on Thursday, according to the agency’s agenda posted on its website.
As previously reported, the Eurotek Group, which operates the Fresh, Arsen, Soyuz, and Kvartal grocery chains in Ukraine, is closing its supermarket chains in Lviv and Chernihiv. The group later confirmed the chains’ exit from the market.
According to information on the Eurotek website, the group of companies also includes a real estate development and management company, as well as Alliance Market, which operates supermarket chains.
According to data from the YouControl analytical system, the owner of Alliance Market LLC is Mykhailo Veselskyi (100%).
Based on 2025 results, Alliance Market LLC increased its net loss by 27.5% compared to the previous year, to 72.9 million UAH. Net revenue grew by 21.2%, to 3 billion UAH.
Silpo-Food LLC, which operates the Silpo chain, was established in early August 2016. According to information on the website, the chain operates 310 supermarkets in 60 cities across Ukraine and four Le Silpo delicatessens: in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
According to YouControl, the LLC’s founder is PJSC “Retail Capital” (100%, Kyiv), a closed-end, non-diversified venture corporate investment fund. The ultimate beneficiary is Volodymyr Kostelman.
Silpo-Food’s revenue for 2025 increased by 13.9% compared to 2024—to 106 billion UAH, with net profit amounting to 1.1 billion UAH versus 154 million UAH in the previous year.
The company is part of the Fozzy Group, a retail and industrial group with over 825 retail outlets across the country. The company operates retail chains of various formats: Silpo supermarkets, Fozzy wholesale hypermarkets, Fora neighborhood stores, Thrash! discounters, Bila Romashka pharmacy supermarkets, and E-ZOO pet stores.
Centravis Production Ukraine (Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), a subsidiary of Centravis Ltd., reported an increase in production and financial performance for January–March of this year compared to the same period last year.
According to a press release on Thursday, the company’s production volume rose by nearly 6%—from 3,210 tons in the first quarter of 2025 to 3,400 tons in the first quarter of 2026.
Export volume grew even more—by 10%, from UAH 1.24 billion to UAH 1.37 billion.
The company also increased tax payments to budgets at various levels. In the first three months of 2026, Centravis paid UAH 170.6 million in taxes, which is 19% more than in the same period last year.
“I believe we achieved a good result in the first quarter, especially given the harsh winter and the persistently difficult security situation in Nikopol. We are very grateful to our team and the Ukrainian Armed Forces for this. We will continue to do what we do best—develop production and strengthen our position in the global market,” said Yuriy Atanasov, CEO of Centravis.
In 2025, the company produced 13,770 tons of products. Nearly the entire volume is exported to foreign markets. The company’s main markets remain Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East.
Centravis’s production facilities are located in Nikopol and Uzhhorod. The company also has sales offices in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates.
As previously reported, the company planned to increase production to 15,000 tons in 2025.
Centravis was founded in 2000 and is among the top ten largest manufacturers of seamless stainless steel pipes in the world. Its main production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnipropetrovsk region). In 2023, the company opened a branch in Uzhhorod.
Centravis Ltd. was established on the basis of CJSC “Nikopol Stainless Steel Pipe Plant” and the service and trading companies LLC “Production and Commercial Enterprise ”YUVIS.” Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family. Centravis Ltd. owns 100% of the shares in Centravis Production Ukraine PJSC.
PJSC “Scientific and Production Center ”Borshchahivsky Chemical and Pharmaceutical Plant” (BCPP) increased its net profit by 2.96% to UAH 281.788 million in 2025.
According to the company’s website, BCHP increased its production of pharmaceutical products by 16% in 2025, reaching 37.4 million packages worth UAH 2.481 billion.
According to the company, total sales of finished products and goods in 2025 amounted to 43.8 million packages, which is 6.9% more than in 2024.
In addition, the company reported that in 2025, BHFZ exported products worth UAH 307 million, accounting for 13.7% of total sales.
BHFZ exported its products to countries in Eastern and Western Europe, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and other distant foreign markets, as well as to countries within the CIS.
Net sales revenue for 2025 amounted to UAH 2.259 billion, which is 7.9% more than the previous year.
BHFZ forecasts an 18% increase in net sales revenue for 2026 compared to 2025. Annual growth during 2027–2028 is expected to be 13%
The company also reported that in 2025, BHFZ was developing 12 drugs in four dosage forms; one clinical trial was completed, and preparations are underway for two more clinical trials.
Additionally, BHFZ completed the registration process for one drug in Ukraine and seven abroad.
In total, in 2025, BHFZ registered four finished pharmaceutical products and five APIs. One drug was submitted for registration in CIS countries, and four drugs were registered in countries outside the CIS.
The company noted that BHFZ is striving to maintain retail prices at pre-war levels and has adjusted its product portfolio to account for wartime conditions; it has also managed to maintain the continuity of supply chains.
In addition, the BHFZ Group has created the necessary reserve of production stocks and raw materials, which is constantly updated, to ensure uninterrupted production throughout 2026.
As reported, BHFZ is seeking to recover UAH 50.7 million in damages from the Russian Federation for the destruction and damage of property resulting from armed aggression, specifically the destruction and damage of property caused by a rocket attack on July 31, 2025.
The court accepted the statement of claim for consideration and opened proceedings in the case. As part of the investigation, an expert assessment was conducted, according to which the amount of direct (actual) damages caused to BHFZ as a result of the loss, destruction, or damage to property (fixed assets and inventory according to the lists) in connection with the armed aggression of the Russian Federation (as a result of the explosion and fire on July 31, 2025) amounts to UAH 50,760,894, which, at the NBU exchange rate as of the date of the assessment (July 31, 2025), is equivalent to $1,215,358.
Currently, the shareholders of BHFZ are the pharmaceutical company PJSC “Pharmaceutical Firm ‘Darnitsa’ (Kyiv), which owns 31.8% of BHFZ’s shares; other shareholders include ”Beldor Group“ (21.26%) and ”Lenik Group” (20.32%) .
The ultimate beneficiaries of BHFZ are the beneficiaries of the pharmaceutical company “Darnitsa”: Gleb Zagoriy, Yevgen Sova, Tetiana Artemenko, Mykola Bezpalko, and Oleg Goloborodko.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić has stated that Belgrade hopes to confirm Ukraine’s participation in the specialised Expo 2027 exhibition, which is due to take place in the Serbian capital from 15 May to 15 August 2027, according to the Telegram channel ‘Serbian Economist’.
Đurić posted this on X following a meeting with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Serbia, Oleksandr Litvinenko. According to the Serbian Foreign Minister, the parties discussed further intensifying political dialogue, supporting bilateral political consultations and improving trade cooperation between the two countries.
He also thanked Ukraine for its principled stance on the issue of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia.
“As Serbia and Ukraine traditionally enjoy very good relations, we hope to confirm Ukraine’s participation in the upcoming EXPO 2027 specialised exhibition,” the Serbian Foreign Minister emphasised.
For Belgrade, Ukraine’s potential participation in Expo 2027 has not only diplomatic but also economic significance. Serbia is seeking to use the exhibition as a tool for expanding trade, investment and logistics ties, as well as a platform for promoting the country as a regional hub for the Western Balkans.
For Ukraine, participation in Expo 2027 could provide an opportunity to present in Serbia not only a national pavilion but also a business programme focused on reconstruction, the agro-industrial sector, energy, IT, construction materials, logistics and industrial cooperation.
Expo 2027 Belgrade will be held under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All”. It will be the first specialised Expo hosted by Serbia and the region of the former Yugoslavia. According to the Bureau International des Expositions, the Belgrade site is set to welcome over 130 countries, more than 6 million visitors and over 8,000 events during the 93-day programme.
According to the official Expo 2027 website, 137 countries have formally confirmed their participation to date. These include Japan, South Korea, China, Turkey, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Monaco, as well as a number of countries from Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. In March 2026, Belgrade also hosted the second international meeting of Expo 2027 participants, which, according to the Serbian government, was attended by representatives from 138 countries.
A distinctive feature of the Belgrade Expo is that it is intended to be not a general world exhibition, but a specialised Expo – that is, a more focused international event with a limited theme and duration. For Serbia, this is the largest image-building and infrastructure project of the decade: it involves the construction of a new exhibition complex in Surčin, the development of transport infrastructure, the hotel sector, the city’s economy and Belgrade’s international positioning.
More than 500 foreign investors who have obtained Portuguese Golden Visas are preparing a class-action lawsuit against the government over a new citizenship law that extends the waiting period for applying for a Portuguese passport.
This concerns holders of ARI investment residence permits, known as “Golden Visas.” According to The Portugal News, investors believe the rule change violates their legitimate expectations, as many joined the program expecting to be able to apply for citizenship after five years of residency. Now, for some applicants, that timeframe could extend to eight or ten years.
The initiative brings together investors of various nationalities, with U.S. citizens being particularly prominent. The group’s members intend to first explore legal avenues within Portugal and then, if necessary, consider options for appealing at the European level.
The investors’ main complaint concerns the retroactive effect of the reform. Many Golden Visa holders had already been living in Portugal for several years, investing in funds, businesses, or real estate, and had planned to apply for citizenship under the old terms. In one example cited in the Portuguese press, an investor was less than two months away from completing the five-year period when the rules were changed.
The Portuguese Golden Visa has long been one of the most popular investment-based residency programs in the EU. It allowed foreigners to obtain a residence permit by meeting investment requirements and with minimal physical presence in the country, and then apply for citizenship after a set period of residence. However, in recent years, Portuguese authorities have consistently tightened their migration and investment policies.
This dispute is of significant importance for the real estate market and investment migration. If the courts rule that the new deadlines should not apply to existing investors, this will preserve some of the program’s credibility. If the state prevails, Portugal could face reputational damage among investors who viewed its rules as stable and predictable.
The changes could also affect other EU countries, where residence and citizenship programs are increasingly becoming the subject of political debate. Amid rising housing prices, migration pressure, and criticism of “golden visas,” governments are seeking to tighten conditions, but investors are demanding protection of previously acquired rights.
