On July 16, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) announced a tender for medical insurance for employees with an expected purchase price of UAH 106.912 million, according to the Prozorro electronic procurement system. Applications for participation will be accepted until 11:00 a.m. on July 31. The amount of security provided by participants is UAH 1 million.
As reported, on June 4, 2024, the NBU announced its intention to conclude a contract with SK Universalna (Kyiv) for voluntary medical insurance for its employees. The company’s price offer was UAH 76.720 million against the expected cost of UAH 77.244 million. Insurance companies Kraina and VUSO also participated in the tender with bids of UAH 72.368 million and UAH 76.728 million, respectively.
Heating boiler manufacturer Mayak Plant JSC (Mayak JSC, Zmiiv, Kharkiv region) intends to pay dividends to shareholders for 2024 in the amount of UAH 214,800 between July 25 and October 25 of this year.
According to the company’s report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), dividends will be paid at a rate of 1.023 thousand UAH per share (par value of 1 thousand UAH).
As reported, the relevant decision was made by the general meeting of shareholders on April 25.
According to the company, in 2024, its net profit amounted to UAH 0.215 million (a year earlier – UAH 4.61 million), undistributed profit – UAH 16.37 million.
The company’s authorized capital is UAH 210,000, divided into 210 shares.
As reported, at the end of 2023, Mayak paid dividends at a rate of UAH 2.195 per share.
According to the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, as of the first quarter of 2024, 52.38% of the shares of Mayak Plant JSC are owned by CEO Oleksiy Mushtay, with 14.2857% each owned by Tetiana Samusenko and Zoya Garagata.
Mayak Plant was established in 1991 and manufactures household heating equipment under the Mayak trademark.
According to Clarity Project, the company’s net income in 2024 decreased by 6% compared to 2023, to UAH 65.7 million.
Denmark and Germany have agreed to participate in the new format of arms supplies to Kyiv proposed by US President Donald Trump, while France, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Hungary have refused, Western media reported on Wednesday.
In addition, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Europe increasingly feels the need to end its dependence on US weapons.
“Europe is heavily dependent on the US defense industry. However, due to trade tariffs, President Trump’s attitude toward NATO and his lack of commitment to defending the alliance’s countries, European countries will increasingly prioritize investments in their own defense systems,” the agency’s sources said.
According to the European portal Politico, France has refused to participate in the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. The publication’s sources said that instead, the government intends to focus on increasing its own defense budget, which President Emmanuel Macron promised last weekend to almost double by 2027 compared to the 2017 budget.
In addition, Paris wants to support European manufacturers who previously supplied Ukraine with anti-missile systems and other weapons.
Italy also has no plans to purchase weapons from the US for delivery to Ukraine, but will continue to provide military assistance to Kyiv. Unnamed representatives of the Ministry of Defense told the newspaper La Stampa that there had never been any talks about purchasing American weapons for Kyiv.
In addition, the newspaper notes that Italy does not have the funds to carry out operations of this kind. According to the newspaper’s sources, the problem is so acute that the only purchase from the US planned by Italy for the next ten years is a batch of F-35 fighter jets for its own needs.
The Czech government, in turn, said that military aid to Kyiv would continue, but through participation in other initiatives and purchases from Czech, not American, manufacturers.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Budapest does not intend to participate in the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.
Berlin and Copenhagen have so far given their official consent to purchase weapons from the US. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said he was fully prepared to join the funding.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry, in turn, said it was considering participating in the program. However, despite the government’s positive assessment of the initiative, Amsterdam has not yet confirmed its commitment to direct participation.
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom are also expected to join the funding.
On July 11, Trump announced that US NATO allies would purchase weapons from Washington, which could then be transferred to Ukraine.
During a press conference with Trump on Monday, Rutte called it “logical” that European countries would pay for US arms deliveries to Ukraine.
European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that EU countries would prefer Washington to provide part of its military aid to Ukraine free of charge. “If we pay for these weapons, it means that we, not the US, are providing this military aid,” Callas said at a press conference in Brussels. She stressed that Brussels “would like to see these costs shared.”
Ukraine’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to UAH 1 trillion 923.1 billion in the first quarter of 2025, the State Statistics Service reported on Tuesday.
It confirmed the estimate of real GDP growth of 0.9% by the first quarter of 2024.
In addition, according to the State Statistics Service, the change in the deflator in the first quarter of this year was 16.9%, while in the fourth quarter of last year it was 12.8%.
As reported, in the IMF macroeconomic forecast updated in late June, the estimate of Ukraine’s nominal GDP in 2025-2027 was increased by about UAH 150 billion due to the revised GDP deflator from 12% to 13.5% this year: UAH 8.87 trillion this year, UAH 10.19 trillion next year, and UAH 11.32 billion in 2027.
In April, the NBU lowered its expectations for Ukraine’s economic growth this year to 3.1% from 3.6% in its previous January macroeconomic forecast, and from 4.0% to 3.7% in the next year.
According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 2.9% in 2024 from 5.5% in 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the country’s GDP decreased by 0.1% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023.
According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine’s nominal GDP last year amounted to UAH 7 trillion 658.7 billion, with a change in the deflator of 12.3%, including UAH 2 trillion 194.4 billion in the fourth quarter, with a change in the deflator of 12.8%.
Germany’s central bank does not expect the country’s GDP to grow in April-June 2025 after an unexpected rise in the first quarter. The economy has “probably stagnated” and the underlying trend is still characterized as “generally weak,” according to the Bundesbank’s monthly report.
The central bank warned that the introduction of 30% import duties recently announced by US President Donald Trump would create a “significant risk of economic decline.”
“In the short term, Germany’s export industry will face additional obstacles in the form of US tariff policy,” the Bundesbank said in a report.
Germany’s economy grew by 0.4% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous three months. The GDP growth rate was the highest since the third quarter of 2022. However, this increase is largely due to attempts by businesses and exporters to get ahead of US duties.
Preliminary data on the dynamics of Germany’s GDP in the second quarter will be published on July 30.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center made a video analysis of the prospects for the Ukrainian and global economies, see more in the video – https://youtu.be/kQsH3lUvMKo?si=F4IOLdLuVbYmEh5P
A studio of comfortable lingerie by the Ukrainian brand brabrabra is scheduled to open in the capital’s Ocean Mall, the company’s press service reports.
“The brabrabra brand encourages everyone to choose themselves and comfortable underwear for themselves soon in a new studio at the Ocean Mall. This location will provide more opportunities to see the maximum variety of lingerie and leisurewear collections – completely different designs, fabrics and comfortable designs that guarantee a sense of comfort for everyone,” the press release says.
The studio will be located on 65 square meters. It is noted that the brabrabra brand has a wide range of sizes, from A to J and from XS to 4XL, which covers more than 90% of women’s bra requests. Professional brafitters from the brand’s team will help you determine the right size and choose comfortable underwear.
Ocean Mall is a retail resort shopping center. The total area is 300 thousand square meters and has a parking lot for 4 thousand cars. The mall has 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.
