The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has granted permission to Vitaly Antonov’s Vi.An Holding Limited (Limassol, Cyprus) to acquire control over Kairos Holding LLC, the AMCU press service reported on Facebook.
“The decision to acquire is a logical continuation of our development strategy in the agricultural sector and expansion of the land bank. The interest in Ternopil and Rivne regions, where the land bank of the above-mentioned company is concentrated, is due to both favorable natural and climatic conditions and better yields compared to other regions of Ukraine,” the corporate communications department of OKKO Group commented on the AMCU’s decision.
The company also reminded that it is completing the construction of an elevator with a storage capacity of 60 thousand tons, and a bioethanol plant is under construction, which is expected to start production in the second half of 2026. The facilities are designed to produce 85 thousand tons of bioethanol per year, both for domestic needs and for sale to foreign markets.
In addition, OKKO called the partnership with Gadz-Agro (Ternopil region) an important component of its agricultural portfolio, with which the company is developing agricultural production.
Kairos Holding LLC was founded in 2024 in Lviv. The company specializes in growing cereals, legumes and oilseeds, organizing the construction of buildings, intermediary in the trade of a wide range of goods, wholesale of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, etc.
According to the Opendatabot service, in 2024, the company received revenue of UAH 1.543 million, a net loss of UAH 1.136 million, has debt obligations of UAH 857.395 million, and assets are estimated at UAH 856.31 million. The authorized capital is UAH 50 thousand. The company employs 1 employee. The beneficiaries are businessmen Bohdan Kuspis and Ivan Kotsyo, who own a number of bakery plants in Lviv and Vinnytsia, restaurants, construction companies, etc.
OKKO Group unites more than 10 diversified businesses in manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, maintenance and other services. The flagship company of the group is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest filling stations in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with about 400 filling stations.
The group’s founder and ultimate beneficiary is Vitaliy Antonov.
86,795 newborns in Ukraine and 249,002 deaths – these are the statistics of life and death for the first six months of 2025 published by the Ministry of Justice. Currently, there are 3 deaths per baby, and this situation has remained unchanged over the past 5 years. Most babies are born in the capital, and most often die in Dnipropetrovs’k region.
86,795 babies were born in the last six months. It can be noted that the birth rate has stabilized during the war, as it is almost the same as in the same period last year. Back then, 87,655 little citizens were born in the first half of the year.
However, the overall trend is disappointing: the birth rate has decreased by 2.2 times in ten years. While in 2016, on average, 32 thousand babies were born per month, this year only 14 thousand were born.
Traditionally, most babies are born in Kyiv – 9,947 or 12% of the total number of newborns. Lviv region follows with 8,282 (10%) babies. Dnipropetrovs’k region rounds out the top three with 6,670 (8%).
In some regions of the country, despite the war, there is even a small increase in the birth rate. Kyiv region is the leader with +6% over the year, followed by Lviv region with +5%, and Volyn with +6%.
In general, a small increase is observed in 7 regions of the country.
At the same time, fewer children are expected to be born in regions close to the front line. In Donetsk region, the birth rate has almost halved over the year (-47%), in Kherson region – by 11%, and in Chernihiv region – by 10%.
Traditionally, most boys are born – 51%.
At the same time, 249,002 people died in the first half of the year in Ukraine. The situation has hardly changed over the year. Currently, there are three deaths per newborn. This figure has remained unchanged over the past 5 years. Thus, the country’s population is decreasing by more than 300 thousand annually.
For comparison, in 2016, there were 2 deaths per 1 baby.
Every ninth person in Ukraine dies in Dnipropetrovska oblast – 27,120 deaths, which is consistently the highest rate in Ukraine. The anti-leaders are Kyiv with 18,114 deaths and Kharkiv region with 17,694 deaths.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/birth-death-2025
Alliance Novobud has been recognized as one of the best in the capital’s suburbs segment according to the annual rating of developers compiled by the Minfin portal. According to the results of 2024, the developer confidently took the 3rd place among the developers of the suburbs of Kyiv region, proving stability, reliability and high growth rate even in a turbulent market.
This year, the editors have slightly updated the rating methodology, adding several important criteria that allow potential buyers and investors to gain a deeper understanding of the quality of projects and the reliability of developers. Alliance Novobud continues to keep the bar high, demonstrating stable development and responsible attitude to obligations to customers every year.
“Suburban developers have an advantage – today they can build faster and more. But the requirements for them are also growing. Now it is not enough to just build square meters. The winner is the one who creates a high-quality and well-thought-out living space,” emphasized Iryna Mikhalova, CMO of Alliance Novobud.
“Alliance Novobud builds not just square meters, but above all, meaningful spaces for living. We thank our customers and partners for their trust! There are even more important steps and new projects ahead.
Foreign Ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, Amir Khan Muttaki and Ishaq Dar signed a trilateral framework agreement on the development of a feasibility study for the Trans-Afghanistan Railway project during a meeting in Kabul on Thursday.
“We have signed a trilateral framework agreement on the development of a feasibility study for the Trans-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway project, which is of strategic importance for the whole of Eurasia,” the Uzbek Foreign Minister said in his telegram channel.
He noted that this transportation corridor will improve trade, support Afghanistan’s economic recovery, and open new routes to world markets through southern ports.
According to Saidov, during the meeting, the Uzbek side reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade ties, expanding cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and construction, as well as increasing the capacity of the Termez International Trade Center (opened in Uzbekistan near the Afghan border).
As reported, in February 2021, representatives of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a joint action plan for the construction of the Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway with a length of 573 kilometers and a transit potential of up to 20 million tons of cargo per year following talks in Tashkent.
The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have expressed interest in financing the project.
In April 2024, during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Moscow, a preliminary agreement was reached on Russia’s participation in the project. The volume of Russian cargo transportation along the projected route can be estimated at 8-15 million tons annually.
According to the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan, the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway line will take at least 5 years, with a preliminary cost of $4.8 billion.
AFGHANISTAN, CONSTRUCTION, PAKISTAN, Trans-Afghan railroad, UZBEKISTAN
As of July 18, farmers harvested 7.226 million tons of early grains and legumes from an area of 2.355 million hectares, compared to 2.62 million tons from 919.9 thousand hectares a week earlier, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
The ministry noted that 4.671 million tons of wheat have already been harvested (against 1.238 million tons a week earlier) from 1.504 million hectares (434.8 thousand hectares), 2.182 million tons of barley (1.153 million tons) from an area of 660.6 thousand hectares (364 thousand hectares), and 362.9 thousand tons of peas (225.1 thousand tons) from 170.8 thousand hectares (119.7 thousand hectares).
Odesa region is the leader in the harvest of grains and pulses, harvesting 2.02 mln tonnes from 722.1 thou hectares, Mykolaiv region – 1.173 mln tonnes from 488.7 thou hectares, Kirovohrad region – 963 thou tonnes from 238.6 thou hectares.
Rapeseed is harvested in 14 regions. The harvested area is 614.1 thsd tonnes (290.1 thsd tonnes) from 360.3 thsd ha (178.9 thsd ha).
As reported, as of July 19, 2024, agrarians of all regions of Ukraine harvested 15.7 mln tonnes of new crop from 4.4 mln ha, including 10.3 mln tonnes of wheat from 2.627 thou. hectares, barley – 3.1 mln tonnes from 824.2 thou hectares, peas – 319.3 thou tonnes from 154.7 thou hectares, rapeseed – 1.8 mln tonnes from 779.1 thou hectares, soybeans – 0.3 thou tonnes from 0.2 thou hectares, millet – 80 tonnes from 50 thou hectares.
wheat, barley
A children’s store of eco-brands Pokito, with a focus on ages 1 to 10, will open in Ocean Mall, the company’s press service reports.
“Pokito started its operations in 2023 with a clear mission: to offer Ukrainian parents high-quality, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing clothes for children under 10 years old. We offer solutions that meet the daily challenges of an active childhood: comfort, practicality, durability, safe materials and modern design,” said Pokito founder Iryna Zueva.
The assortment of the 80-square-meter store, which will be located on the entertainment floor of Ocean Mall, will include proven European and domestic brands that have proven themselves to be responsible in production, high quality standards and child care. The presented children’s clothing, footwear and related products are united by one idea – practicality, quality and care for the child’s comfort. The store’s portfolio currently includes 15 brands. Among the bestsellers are Spanish Boboli and Cóndor, Danish Liewood and Konges Sløjd, British Mimi & Lula, etc.
The main requirements for manufacturers are a proven reputation for high quality materials, responsible production and environmental standards, safe composition and certificates confirming this. Ukrainian brands already represented include Ukrglamour – embroidered shirts (Lutsk), Elf-Kids – hats (Odesa).
“We want the item to be worn, not to lose its appearance after two or three wash cycles, and to make parents happy that they made the right choice by choosing Pokito products. This creates trust and ensures that our customers will come back to us again,” Zueva said.
As for foreign brands, she emphasized that they choose those that have already gained favor abroad due to their properties, but have not yet gained popularity in the Ukrainian market, which makes it possible to make a unique shopping offer to domestic customers.
Ocean Mall is a retail resort format shopping center. The total area is 300 thousand square meters, with a parking lot for 4 thousand cars. The mall will combine 800 shops and 50 restaurants. Among the largest tenants are Silpo grocery supermarket, flagship stores of the world’s largest retailers in the segments of fashion, sports, and home furnishings. More than 30 thousand square meters in Ocean Mall are dedicated to entertainment, including the Galaxy amusement park for the whole family and a seven-screen multiplex cinema.
