The national postal operator Ukrposhta has announced that from October 1, it will reduce rates for sending small PRIME parcels (up to 2 kg) to the US by $1.5-2, and they will cost from 260 UAH, which is less than before, according to the company’s CEO Ihor Smelyansky.
“To support Ukrainian exporters during the busiest pre-holiday sales season in the US, which accounts for more than 25% of annual sales, Ukrposhta… Starting October 1, rates for small PRIME packages will start at 260 hryvnia, which is $1.5-2 less than before,” the company’s CEO Ihor Smelyansky wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
He specified that this refers to delivery within seven days to more than 15,000 branches throughout the United States.
According to him, in partnership with DHL, Nordi, and Lufthansa, a logistics chain has been built, including parcel processing in Ukraine within 24 hours, delivery to London or Frankfurt within 34-40 hours, then the parcel goes to recipients in the US: New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles.
According to Smiliansky, the introduction of US customs duties on postal items worth up to $800, with a 10% duty for Ukraine compared to 15% for the EU, 25% for Moldova, and 45% for Switzerland, gives Ukrainian small businesses the opportunity to maintain their positions and even increase their volumes, especially given that many countries have not yet resumed deliveries to the US.
Smiliansky added that Ukrposhta has a share of over 50% in the international delivery market.
According to information on the company’s website, the current cost of sending a small PRIME package (no side exceeding 60 cm, and the sum of all measurements not exceeding 90 cm) weighing 100 g to the US is UAH 321.64, and 2 kg – UAH 1,135.6.
Ukrproduct Group, a major Ukrainian producer of packaged butter and processed cheese, reported a net loss of GBP0.19 million for the first half of 2025, compared to a net profit of GBP0.90 million for the same period in 2024.
“Financial expenses in the first half of 2025 increased by 35.6% to GBP0.5 million…, mainly due to the recognition and capitalization of deferred interest and fees related to the EBRD loan (approximately GBP2.1 million), with interest now accruing on a higher principal balance. Net foreign exchange losses increased to GBP0.9 million (H1 2024: GBP0.2 million) due to the depreciation of the Ukrainian hryvnia,” the company explained in a report to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
As reported, in December 2024, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) decided to exercise its right under the loan agreement and charged a commission of GBP2.0 million, which increased the company’s liabilities to the bank to GBP8.1 million.
The group’s gross profit for January-June increased by 2.8% to GBP3.53 million, while operating profit fell by 17.2% to GBP1.22 million and EBITDA by 18.3% to GBP1.5 million.
Ukrproduct Group’s revenue in hryvnia increased by 32.9% in the first half of the year, while in British pounds sterling, the increase was 21.6% to GBP20.23 million.
“Butter: Sales rose sharply to GBP 3.3 million (H1 2024 – GBP 1.3 million), mainly due to the expansion of exports of packaged butter. Domestic sales were deliberately reduced to avoid unprofitable deals, with sales in Ukraine limited to selected customers,” the company said.
According to the report, sales of processed cheese and cheese products increased by 4.7% to GBP11.2 million, spreads to GBP2.0 million from GBP1.7 million, mainly due to increased export volumes.
Sales of skimmed milk powder and skimmed milk products increased to GBP0.8 million from GBP0.5 million, reflecting strong demand in the EU at favorable prices. However, the possible abolition of duty-free and quota-free access under the EU’s Autonomous Trade Measures (and any revision of quotas) could significantly reduce future export volumes, Ukrproduct added.
According to the report, the sandwich spreads category remained stable, with sales of GBP0.6 million, while sales of kvass and beverages declined slightly to GBP1.0 million from GBP1.1 million. This reflects weaker demand for kvass due to the unusually cool summer, while kombucha sales are accelerating, benefiting from innovation and lifestyle-oriented positioning.
In addition, in the first half of 2025, Ukrproduct Group sold sunflower seeds worth GBP0.2 million, eight times more than last year, which allowed it to maintain profits in this segment despite lower market prices.
As noted, operating expenses increased by 13.5% to GBP 2.3 million, mainly due to higher payroll costs (inflation and labor shortages): labor turnover remains high, as younger workers move abroad or are unavailable due to mobilization and family dispersion, incentives must be provided to retain staff, increase training, and selective hiring. “Changes that allow men aged 18 to 22 to move abroad may further affect the availability of labor,” the report said.
As of June 30, 2025, Ukrproduct Group’s net assets had fallen to GBP1.6 million from GBP4.9 million a year ago, and cash balances to GBP0.1 million from GBP0.5 million. The company continues to violate a number of provisions of the loan agreement with the EBRD, including non-repayment of tranches A and B and late payment of interest since March 1, 2022, and discussions with the EBRD on the potential restructuring of the loan and accrued interest, which began in 2021, are ongoing. At present, the EBRD has not exercised its right to accelerate the repayment of the loan.
In assessing its prospects for the end of 2025, Ukrproduct assumes that the business environment will remain unstable due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and financial pressure. The company plans to optimize its product range towards value-added products, diversify its export destinations, and align production more closely with confirmed orders, as well as support the further development of recently launched products (varieties of kvass, kombucha, sandwich spreads).
“Liquidity remains limited and depends on disciplined working capital management and continued creditor tolerance while negotiations with the EBRD on restructuring are ongoing. We are limiting capital expenditure to essential safety and maintenance measures, seeking to make advance payments where possible, rationalising inventories and focusing on the most profitable product range to preserve cash,” said the company, whose capital investments in the first half of this year amounted to GBP0.49 million, compared to GBP0.50 million in the first half of last year.
As reported, Ukrproduct Group posted a net loss of GBP2.04 million for 2024, compared to a net profit of GBP0.39 million for 2023. Revenue in hryvnia increased by 13%, while in British pounds sterling the increase was only 0.2% to GBP37.08 million.
The net consolidated loss of the DTEK RES holding in the first half of 2025 amounted to UAH 1.710 billion, compared to a profit of UAH 1.397 billion in the first half of 2024.
According to the stock exchange report of the holding company DTEK Renewables B.V., this result is due to a 5.4-fold increase in net losses from exchange rate differences on financial and investment activities to UAH 2.381 billion, as well as the fact that last year the company reversed asset impairment losses of UAH 0.566 billion.
According to the report, DTEK Renewables’ consolidated revenue in the first half of 2025 decreased by 1.6% to UAH 2.953 billion, and gross profit decreased by 23.6% to UAH 2.219 billion.
It is noted that sales of wind power plants increased to UAH 0.79 billion from UAH 0.61 billion, while solar power plants increased to UAH 1.986 billion from UAH 1.948 billion.
As of mid-year, DTEK RES’s total assets amounted to UAH 47.91 billion, compared to UAH 38.21 billion at the beginning of the year, while total capital decreased to UAH 6.206 billion from UAH 7.916 billion.
The report notes that in the first half of this year, including the first two decades of June, the actual weighted average level of payments by the Guaranteed Buyer reached 84%, while in the same period of 2024 it was only 55%, and the debt as of June 30, 2025, amounted to UAH 0.614 billion.
DTEK RES expects a payment level of 90% this year and repayment of UAH 0.778 billion of debt with the remaining UAH 1.119 billion to be paid in 2026-27.
Among other positive developments, the company cited the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in February 2025 No. 4213 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine in the Fields of Energy and Heat Supply Regarding the Improvement of Certain Provisions Related to Economic Activity and Martial Law in Ukraine,” which addresses critical issues by simplifying access to the power grid, increasing investor confidence, and stimulating the creation of new capacity. “The procedures for connecting to the power grid will become more reliable and transparent, and the capacity reservation system will serve as a tool for reducing the risks of large investments in wind energy,” according to DTEK RES.
The company added that the law also increased the annual quota for participation in “green” auctions and directed 45% of the surplus received by NPC Ukrenergo as a result of dispatching activities in 2023 and 2024 to repay accumulated debts to RES producers.
The report also states that in the first half of this year, DTEK RES participated in the construction of the second phase of DTEK Tiligulskaya WPP and battery storage projects, with additional capacity in these projects amounting to UAH 7.283 billion and UAH 3.746 billion. In addition, in July-September, another UAH 2.385 billion and UAH 250 million were allocated for these purposes, and in August, these 200 MW storage facilities were put into operation.
The company’s total loans for the first half of this year increased from UAH 26.51 billion to UAH 37.58 billion, including long-term loans from UAH 16.07 billion to UAH 26.38 billion, of which UAH 12.10 billion to UAH 13.46 billion were green Eurobonds, and the rest in bank loans.
The report states that negotiations are continuing on the restructuring of several loans in connection with Russia’s occupation of the company’s assets. At the same time, in August this year, an additional agreement was signed with Ukrgasbank to defer payments on the principal amount of the debt for one year with interest accruing during the deferral period.
In addition, in January-July this year, DTEK VDE managed to fully repay a EUR198 million non-bank loan, which arose due to the NBU’s restrictions on foreign currency payments.
As reported, the net consolidated profit of DTEK RES holding in 2024 amounted to UAH 1.584 billion, compared to a loss of UAH 547 million in 2023. Consolidated revenue increased by 50.3% to UAH 5.604 billion, and gross profit doubled to UAH 5.19 billion.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
The parties discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation, including trade, investment, education and cultural exchange, as well as key aspects of cooperation in multilateral formats within international organizations.
“The meeting confirmed the mutual commitment of Uzbekistan and Ukraine to deepen dialogue, strengthen partnership and develop new opportunities for the benefit of our peoples,” Bakhtiyor Saidov said.
Andriy Sybiga wrote on his page on the social network X that the parties agreed to resume political dialogue and expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation in various fields.
“Ukraine seeks to develop relations with Uzbekistan and strengthen ties with Central Asian countries,” the statement reads.
The UK economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the previous three months, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The result coincided with both the preliminary estimate and the consensus forecast of analysts polled by Trading Economics.
Thus, the pace of GDP growth slowed from 0.7% in the first quarter.
In April-June, the services sector grew by 0.4%, the construction sector by 1%, while the manufacturing sector contracted by 0.8%.
Consumer spending increased by 0.1%, and government spending by 1.3%. Business capital investment increased by 0.5% (previously reported as a 1.1% decline).
Exports decreased by 0.2% (the decline was recorded for the third quarter in a row), while imports remained unchanged.
British GDP growth in the second quarter was 1.4% compared to the same period last year. Previously, it was reported an increase of 1.2%.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center released a video on the economic performance of Ukraine and major countries of the world – https://youtu.be/kQsH3lUvMKo?si=dhZl9SIChwDiTinw
NASA plans to build a settlement for astronauts on the Moon by 2035, acting head of the agency Sean Duffy said at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.
“We are going to create sustainable living conditions for people on the Moon,” Duffy said. “Not just an outpost, but an entire settlement.”
According to him, nuclear energy will be used to power the settlement. The reactor, weighing less than 15 tons, will be capable of producing 100 kW of electricity. This is enough to provide the lunar base with electricity for 14 lunar nights, when solar panels will be ineffective.
Duffy said that the US “will return to the moon, and this time, when we plant our flag, we will stay there.” The settlement will be able to permanently host astronauts and will be built from materials found on the surface of the Moon.
As early as February next year, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission with four astronauts on board in the first manned expedition to the Moon in more than 50 years. The astronauts will not land on the surface of Earth’s natural satellite. During the Artemis II mission, the astronauts will test the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which will eventually take humans to the moon. The crew will fly around the moon for 10 days before returning to Earth.
But a serious test for NASA awaits in mid-2027 with the launch of the Artemis III mission, which plans to land two astronauts near the south pole of the Moon. In September, Duffy said that as part of the Artemis III mission to explore the Moon, which NASA plans to carry out in mid-2027, astronauts will stay on the planet for eight to twelve days. The data they collect on the geology and conditions around the South Pole will be used to prepare for the ultimate goal of building a permanent base on the Moon.
