Ukrainian companies increasingly need to move from one-time checks of counterparties to regular monitoring of their condition. In a period of high economic, military and logistical risks, a partner’s financial position can change rapidly, and a delay in updating information may lead to losses.
Dun & Bradstreet tools can be used not only for the initial assessment of a counterparty, but also for the subsequent tracking of changes in its business profile, payment discipline, corporate connections, risks and reputational factors. Such an approach is especially important for companies that work with deferred payments, large batches of goods or long-term contracts.
For Ukrainian businesses, regular monitoring can become part of an internal risk management system. It helps companies respond more quickly to a partner’s problems, revise contract terms, limit credit lines or require additional guarantees.
“In a crisis environment, a counterparty that was reliable yesterday does not necessarily remain so tomorrow. That is why business verification, primarily the verification of foreign businesses, should not be a one-time action, but a continuous process,” said Maksym Urakin, Director of Development and Marketing at Interfax-Ukraine, Head of the D&B-Interfax-Ukraine Business Unit, and PhD in Economics.
He added that the culture of counterparty monitoring should become as routine for Ukrainian companies as accounting or the legal review of a contract.
Dun & Bradstreet is an international company in the field of business data and analytics, founded in 1841. The company provides tools for business identification, counterparty verification, credit and commercial risk assessment, compliance and supply chain analysis. One of D&B’s key tools is the D-U-N-S Number, a unique nine-digit company identifier used in international business practice. In Ukraine, D&B is represented by the Interfax-Ukraine agency. The partnership is aimed at expanding Ukrainian companies’ access to international business data, supporting exports, attracting financing and integrating into global supply chains. Interfax-Ukraine is an independent Ukrainian news agency that has been operating since 1992.
Nibulon Joint Venture LLC exported 3.15 million metric tons of agricultural products in the 2025/2026 marketing year (MY), a 32% increase from the previous season, when exports totaled 2.39 million metric tons, the company’s press service reported.
As noted in the statement, the company’s share of grain exports rose to 7% from 5.1% a year earlier.
The company attributes this growth to expanded cooperation with agricultural producers, updated trading approaches, an expanded export footprint, and a strengthened international trade presence.
According to the company, it currently works with approximately 4,000 agricultural producers and exports Ukrainian agricultural products to 26 countries worldwide.
Before the war, Nibulon Joint Venture LLC cultivated 82,000 hectares of land across 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries worldwide. In 2021, the grain trader exported 5.64 million metric tons of agricultural products—the highest volume in its history. After the war began, the company was forced to relocate its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv. In addition to 23 grain elevator complexes,
“Nibulon” has its own trucking and rail transport capabilities, as well as a fleet built at its own shipyard. During wartime, this fleet continues to provide river transportation services.
The company is also actively developing its own humanitarian demining unit to restore safety on leased lands and assist Ukraine’s agricultural sector. Nibulon is a certified mine action operator.
agricultural producer, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, EXPORTS, GRAIN, NIBULON
For the full implementation of lobbying legislation at the local level, Ukraine needs unified practical rules for interaction between lobbyists, deputies and officials, as well as a clear distinction between lobbying, advocacy and the representation of private interests, experts believe.
As Vitaliia Hloba, a representative of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, reported, the association has prepared a roadmap for interaction between lobbyists and local self-government bodies and intends to send recommendations to regional councils.
“A lobbyist must openly identify themselves, the client or beneficiary, clearly define the subject of lobbying and act exclusively within the law. At the same time, deputies and officials must understand how to properly record contacts, verify the status of a lobbyist and prevent the risks of unlawful influence. It is precisely such a clear procedure that should become the basis for professional dialogue between business, the community and the authorities,” Hloba emphasized at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
In turn, expert and Kyiv City Council deputy Volodymyr Bondarenko noted that the law on lobbying created a general framework for transparent interaction between business and the authorities, but left a number of gaps that are particularly noticeable at the local level. According to him, one of the key problems concerns the definition of the object of lobbying, since the relevant law refers to the law on law-making activity, which has not yet fully entered into force.
“The law created a framework for regulation, but at the same time did not provide sufficiently clear rules of operation, particularly at the level of local self-government bodies, where today we feel the greatest number of gaps. These issues cannot be resolved solely through clarifications by the NACP, which do not have the force of law and cannot change legislative provisions. The relevant gaps must be eliminated directly at the legislative level,” Bondarenko emphasized.
He also drew attention to the problems of distinguishing between commercial and public interest, lobbying and advocacy, which, in his opinion, should be more clearly regulated by law.
Lawyer, lobbyist, head of the A.Dva.Ka.T Law Association and member of the Lobbying Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association Yaroslav Kuts presented a step-by-step algorithm for interaction between a lobbyist and a local council.
According to him, the procedure should consist of seven stages: verification of the lobbyist’s status, their identification, initial contact, submission of analytical justification, preliminary assessment of proposals, completion of council procedures and monitoring of results.
“Any contact must begin with identification. A lobbyist must state that they are a lobbyist, whom they represent, in whose interests they act, which regulatory legal act is the subject of lobbying and in what format the interaction is expected to take place. After that, the official or deputy can verify their status in the Transparency Register and continue communication on that basis,” Kuts explained.
He emphasized that not every appeal by a citizen or business representative to local authorities constitutes lobbying.
“There is no need for a local council employee to report a lobbying meeting after every appeal by a resident requesting the allocation or privatization of a land plot. The subject of lobbying is a regulatory legal act, meaning rules that are applied repeatedly and to an indefinite number of persons. It is precisely this distinction that should be fundamental for the practical application of the law,” Kuts emphasized.
Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Ukraine Ivan Fursenko noted that the new rules should move relations between lobbyists and local authorities from an informal model to an open procedure in which each side understands its rights, duties and responsibilities.
“We are moving from an informal model of communication to a model in which each side knows its rights, its duties and its own responsibility. The law does not restrict a lobbyist’s right to convey the client’s position, but merely makes this process open, transparent and understandable. Likewise, it protects a deputy, who no longer has to guess whose interests exactly their interlocutor represents,” Fursenko noted.
“Many people are concerned that any meeting with the public or business will now become a problem, but that is not the case. The law does not prohibit communication; it only requires transparency. If a deputy follows the established procedure, recording the contact protects the deputy themselves from accusations of hidden influence,” Fursenko emphasized.
Member of the Ethics Council of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine and Sumy Regional Council deputy Vadym Vashchenko stated that transparency of lobbying contacts is particularly important at the local level, since communities make decisions regarding infrastructure, entrepreneurship, jobs, investment projects and reconstruction.
“A local council should be not only a body that makes decisions, but also an open platform for professional dialogue between the community, business, investors and the expert community. When every meeting is recorded and it is clear who represents the interests, what issue is being discussed and what result is expected, a deputy or official can work openly and without the risk of accusations of hidden influence. This is protection both for business and for local self-government bodies,” Vashchenko said.
According to him, after the end of the war, communities themselves will become the main centres for attracting investment and donor assistance, and therefore the quality and transparency of procedures will directly affect businesses’ willingness to invest funds.
“Transparency today is a factor of investment attractiveness. Communities that are the first to introduce modern standards of open interaction will gain an advantage in working with investors, donors and international organisations. A strong community is not one where there is no lobbying, but one where lobbying is open, lawful and works in the interests of the community’s development,” Vashchenko emphasized.
Lobbyist and member of the Ethics Council of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine Violetta Sukhanova noted that the roadmap should provide deputies and officials with a simple algorithm of actions in the event of contact with a lobbyist.
“There is no need to be afraid of communicating with a registered lobbyist – the law has legalised such interaction, and the fact of a meeting itself is not a violation. It is important that it take place openly, transparently and within the law. If a deputy has not received answers to the questions of who approached them, whom that person represents and which regulatory legal act is the subject of lobbying, they have the right to suspend such interaction until all the circumstances are clarified,” Sukhanova explained.
She emphasized that, for interaction to be defined as lobbying, three elements must be present simultaneously: a registered lobbying entity, a specific regulatory legal act as the subject of lobbying, and a commercial interest.
“Public hearings, electronic petitions, citizens’ appeals, the protection of one’s own rights or participation in open consultations are not in themselves lobbying. Likewise, a professional meeting with a registered lobbyist is not in itself subject to separate declaration. The task of the roadmap is to enable a deputy, within a few minutes, to understand who has approached them, whether this interaction is lawful and how to act correctly from that point onward,” Sukhanova noted.
Lobbyist and member of the Council of Entrepreneurs under the Sumy City Council Valeriia Holovanova presented practical recommendations on maintaining a contact log and meeting minutes.
“A contact log is not a bureaucratic formality, but one of the levels of protection for a deputy. It should record the date and format of the meeting, the status of the person, the client or beneficiary, the specific subject of discussion and the list of materials transferred. At the same time, there should be no evaluative judgments whatsoever — only facts confirming that the contact took place,” Holovanova said.
According to her, the meeting minutes should contain the arguments of the lobbying side, the deputy’s position and information about the materials transferred and the agreements reached.
“If materials were transferred or specific commitments were undertaken, this must be recorded. If no specific commitments were made, this should also be stated directly in order to avoid future speculation about who allegedly promised what. A unified practice across all local, district and regional councils will make such interaction clearer both for deputies and for lobbyists,” Holovanova emphasized.
Summing up the discussion, Bondarenko noted that the legalisation of lobbying is an important element of Ukraine’s European integration, but the regulatory framework will continue to develop.
“It is impossible to solve all problems in nine months of practical application of the law. The culture of regulatory oversight of lobbying in Europe was formed over decades, so the Ukrainian legislative framework will also continue to develop. The main thing now is not to be afraid to apply the law, while at the same time clearly taking into account the restrictions it provides for and working to eliminate the gaps,” Bondarenko concluded.
Representatives of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine also reported that the roadmap would be published on the organisation’s website and sent to regional councils for use in their work.
HLOBA, HOLOVANOVA, Kuts, LOBBYING, lobbyists, SUKHANOVA, VASHCHENKO, БОНДАРЕНКО, Фурсенко
Arsenal Insurance (Kyiv) has become the official insurance partner of FC Shakhtar, according to the company’s website.
“The partnership between Arsenal Insurance and FC Shakhtar is based on shared values: a commitment to leadership, continuous development, professionalism, and responsibility,” the statement notes.
In addition, it is reported that “Arsenal Insurance” and FC “Shakhtar” will soon present special offers and exciting events for fans.
“Arsenal Insurance” is a non-life insurance company with 100% Ukrainian capital. It has been operating since 2005. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of the end of 2025, it ranks fourth in gross premiums among Ukraine’s non-life insurers.
Smart Tech Industry LLC plans to raise $13 million to build “Trout Valley,” a high-tech complex for trout farming and value-added processing, in the Poltava region. The total cost of the project is $62.5 million, according to the Ukraine Investment Guide 2026, presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2026) in Gdańsk.
As noted in the catalog, the complex will be located near the village of Zasulya in the Lubny District and will consist of five production modules with a total capacity of 2,500 metric tons of product per year.
The facility plans to produce trout fillets, cleaned and portioned fish, as well as value-added products, and will provide processing and packaging services for corporate clients.
The project is based on recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology, involves the automation of production processes, and utilizes Danish engineering solutions. The primary target markets are retail chains and the hospitality and restaurant sectors in Ukraine and the European Union.
According to the catalog, the project is ready for implementation. Design work has been completed, the necessary permits have been obtained, expert reviews have been conducted, and construction of the engineering and transportation infrastructure—including gas, water, and electricity supply networks—has begun.
The project is being implemented within the Smart Tech Industry industrial park, which allows for the use of state tax and customs incentives. The estimated implementation period is three years, with a payback period of 2.5 years.
As previously reported, in March 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers included the “Smart Tech Industry” industrial park in the Lubenskyi District of Poltava Oblast in the Register of Industrial Parks. The park’s concept called for the construction of a facility for the deep processing of agricultural products. According to a memorandum signed with American investors, $7 million was planned to be invested in developing its infrastructure, and $20 million in constructing the park’s facilities. The project was expected to create approximately 350 jobs.
Smart Tech Industry LLC was founded in 2016. The company’s main focus is the creation and development of the Smart Tech Industry industrial park and the implementation of industrial projects on its territory.
aquaculture, fish processing, INVESTMENT, Smart Tech Industry, Trout Valley
As of July 7, Ukrainian farmers had harvested 1.022 million metric tons of early-season grains and legumes from the new crop, according to the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
“This year, due to weather conditions, the harvest began somewhat later. But farmers are working as hard as they can, and we’ve already reached the first million metric tons of grain—that’s a good result for this time of year. It was made possible by the coordinated efforts of producers and the efficient organization of fieldwork, even amid security and logistical challenges,” the press service quoted Deputy Minister Taras Vysotsky as saying.
According to the ministry, the harvest of early grain and legume crops is underway in 15 regions. Grain has already been threshed on an area of 251,400 hectares, which accounts for 3% of the projected area, with an average yield of 40.7 centners per hectare.
Farmers have already harvested 719.4 thousand metric tons of barley, 264.6 thousand metric tons of wheat, and 35.1 thousand metric tons of peas.
In the Kherson and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, the rapeseed harvest has begun, with 2.68 thousand metric tons harvested so far.
The largest volumes of grain from the new harvest were harvested by farmers in the Odesa (389 thousand metric tons) and Mykolaiv (347.2 thousand metric tons) regions.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Ukrainian farmers planted over 20 million hectares with winter and spring grains and oilseeds in 2026. Specifically, 5.88 million hectares were planted with spring grains and legumes, and 7 million hectares with industrial crops.
