The American AIRO Group Holdings Inc. and the Ukrainian company Nord Drone Group LLC (NDG) have signed a final agreement to establish AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC, a transatlantic defense joint venture that will meet the needs of key defense industry markets, including Ukraine, the US, and NATO countries.
According to the press release, the joint venture will combine AIRO’s manufacturing and procurement expertise in the US with battle-tested technologies and European manufacturing capabilities.
“Our partnership with AIRO creates a powerful platform for the distribution of our battle-tested technologies in the service of the US and NATO armed forces,” said NDG CEO Yevgeny Kotukh in the press release.
The Nord-Drone group of companies currently produces approximately 4,000 drones per month, including FPV strike units, with the potential to increase production to 25,000 units, long-endurance munitions, and multi-role bombers, with the possibility of scaling, supported by established production capacities and relationships in the defense sector.
Under the proposed structure, AIRO will provide oversight of manufacturing, research and development, and expertise in government procurement, while Nord Drone will provide its own technology, manufacturing capabilities, and established connections in the defense sector. This collaboration will integrate Nord Drone’s large-scale, battle-proven platforms with the RQ-35 Heidrun and AIRO’s broad portfolio of unmanned systems.
It is noted that the establishment of the joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions, including compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and other conditions precedent set forth in the definitive agreement.
In January-October of this year, Ukraine increased imports of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 58% compared to the same period last year, to 31,344 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Wednesday, during this period, bauxite imports in monetary terms increased by 31.2% to $3.518 million.
At the same time, imports were mainly from Turkey (80.96% of supplies in monetary terms), China (16.66%), and Guyana (2.39%).
Ukraine did not re-export bauxite in 2025, as in 2024 and 2023.
As reported, in 2024, Ukraine increased its imports of bauxite in physical terms by 77.4% compared to 2023, to 35,173 thousand tons, and in monetary terms by 74%, to $4.107 million. Imports were mainly from Turkey (78.48% of supplies in monetary terms), China (19.48%), and Spain (1.9%).
In 2023, Ukraine imported 19,830 thousand tons of bauxite worth $2.360 million.
In 2022, Ukraine reduced imports of aluminum ores and concentrates (bauxite) in physical terms by 81.5% compared to the previous year, to 945,396 thousand tons. Bauxite imports in monetary terms decreased by 79.6% to $48.166 million. Imports were mainly from Guinea (58.90% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (27.19%), and Ghana (7.48%).
Bauxite is an aluminum ore used as a raw material for producing alumina, which is then used to produce aluminum. It is also used as a flux in ferrous metallurgy.
Bauxite is imported into Ukraine by the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant (MAP).
In January–October this year, Ukraine reduced manganese ore exports by 30.8% compared to the same period last year, to 13,732 thousand tons, but in August–October, it stepped up deliveries.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), while deliveries in the first seven months of 2025 amounted to 2,977 thousand tons, exports more than doubled in August, when 5,037 thousand tons were exported, 1,725 thousand tons in September, and 3,993 thousand tons in October.
In monetary terms, exports for the ten months of 2025 fell by 17.4% compared to the same period in 2024, to $2.214 million. At the same time, the main exports were to Slovakia (98.74% of shipments in monetary terms) and Poland (1.26%).
There were no imports of manganese ore during this period.
As reported, in January 2024, Ukraine exported 44,903 thousand tons of manganese ore worth $6.563 million to the US, ending a two-year hiatus in exports to foreign markets. In February-December 2024, there were no exports of manganese ore.
At the same time, for the whole of 2024, the country imported 84,293 thousand tons worth $18.302 million from Ghana (98.85%), Brazil (0.99%), and Belgium (0.11%). There were no imports in October-November.
Ukraine did not export manganese ore in 2022 and 2023, and in 2021, it exported 770 tons worth $89 thousand.
In addition, it was reported that the Pokrovsky Mining and Processing Plant (PGZK, formerly Ordzhonikidze Mining and Processing Plant) and the Marganetsky Mining and Processing Plant (MGZK, both in Dnipropetrovsk region), which are part of the Privat Group, stopped mining and processing raw manganese ore in late October-early November 2023, while NZF and ZZF stopped smelting ferroalloys. In the summer of 2024, ferroalloy plants resumed production at a minimum level.
PGZK and MGZK did not produce any products in 2024, while in 2023, PGZK produced 160.31 thousand tons of manganese concentrate, and MGZK was idle.
In Ukraine, manganese ore is mined and enriched by the Pokrovsky and Marganetsky mining and enrichment plants.
The consumers of manganese ore are ferroalloy enterprises.
On December 20, 2025, Uzhhorod will host one of the key events of the year in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery — the “Live Surgery Transcarpathian: Difficult Cases 2.0” conference.
The organizer is the plastic surgery clinic Lita Plus, with the support of UPRADAS — Ukrainian Plastic Reconstructive Aesthetic Dermatosurgeons Association.
The event will bring together more than 100 plastic and reconstructive surgeons, dermatologists, and dermatosurgeons from all over Ukraine to share practical experience, discuss complex clinical cases, and present new approaches to treatment.
During the conference, cases of reconstructive surgery performed by the military will be discussed.
In addition to the main scientific program, participants can expect discussion panels, practical case studies, and professional networking.
For the second time, the Difficult Cases 2.0 conference will be a unique platform for lively professional dialogue, where more than 20 speakers will analyze clinical cases from their own practice, complex cases, and solutions.
“We have created a format where doctors can learn from other doctors. This is what shapes the new quality of medicine — when the professional environment does not compete, but develops together,” notes Sergey Derbak, founder of the Lita Plus clinic and president of the UPRADAS association.
Speakers at the event include Sergey Derbak, Ruslan Gumenny, Alexander Karpinsky, Ilya Kirichenko, Alexander Turkevich, Sergey Romanyuk, Vladimir Shapovaluk, Evgeny Simulik, Denis Pominchuk, Alexander Pasechnik, Vasily Pasechnik, Anna Barinova, Irina Shmygina, and other leading surgeons of Ukraine.
Traditionally, the event will take place in Uzhhorod, at the Camelot hotel complex.
“Transcarpathia is becoming an important hub for the development of medical education. It is a place that combines tranquility, focus, and community — exactly what is needed for professional growth,” comments Alexander Karpinsky, plastic surgeon at the Lita Plus clinic.
The conference is supported by the UPRADAS association, which brings together plastic, reconstructive, aesthetic, and dermatological surgeons from Ukraine.
The association promotes the development of postgraduate education, the improvement of surgical standards, and the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the international professional community.
“We support events that not only shape knowledge but also the culture of communication between specialists. Difficult Cases is exactly the format that changes the approach to medical education,” notes Sergey Derbak.
In addition to its educational value, the conference has a charitable mission — all funds raised will be used to purchase vehicles and equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Traditionally, the event will include a gala evening with a charity auction, the proceeds of which will also go to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A separate category of participation is open to medical university students and interns.
This is a unique opportunity to see the work of leading surgeons, communicate with mentors, and take the first steps in professional development.
Date: December 20, 2025
Venue: Camelot Hotel Complex, Uzhhorod
Start time: 9:00 a.m.
Online registration and program details: https://livesurgery-transcarpathian.com
Media accreditation: +38 050 172 35 00
Contact person: Kira Skrypnyk, Head of PR Department, Lita Plus Clinic — pr@litaplus.com.
Interfax-Ukraine is the information partner of the conference
China’s actual gold purchases this year may exceed officially declared volumes by several times and have already become one of the key drivers of record growth in precious metal prices, the Financial Times writes, citing analysts and market data.
According to official statistics from the People’s Bank of China, in 2025 the regulator purchased only about 25 tons of gold, with an increase in reserves of approximately 2 tons in some months. However, analysts at Société Générale, assessing trade flows of large bars and import data, believe that Beijing’s actual purchases could reach up to 250 tons per year, or more than a third of the total demand of global central banks. According to their estimates, actual purchases may exceed the officially disclosed figures by ten times or more.
Bruce Ikemizu, director of the Japan Precious Metals Market Association, said that market participants this year “practically do not believe official statistics, especially for China,” and estimates the country’s current gold reserves at nearly 5,000 tons — about twice the level reported publicly by the Chinese authorities.
According to the FT and experts, a significant portion of purchases are made opaquely — through the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), the sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation, and other entities that are not required to publish detailed reports on gold reserves. This makes it difficult to assess the real scale of operations and increases market uncertainty.
Analysts note that the secretive accumulation of gold is linked to a strategy of de-dollarization. “China is buying gold as part of its strategy to reduce its dependence on the dollar,” the press quotes Jeff Currie, a strategist at Carlyle, as saying. Gold is seen as a hedge against currency and geopolitical risks, including against the backdrop of tensions with the US.
According to estimates by the World Gold Council, over the past decade, the share of gold in the international reserves of countries outside the US has grown from about 10% to 26%, making the metal the second most important reserve asset after the US dollar. Large-scale purchases by central banks have helped push the price of gold above $4,300 per troy ounce, according to the FT and industry publications.
China remains the world’s largest producer and consumer of gold, accounting for about 10% of global production, which allows Beijing to increase its reserves not only through imports but also through the domestic market.
Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has stopped accepting printed boarding passes: a digital boarding pass in the myRyanair app is now required for boarding, the airline has announced. Online check-in is available on the website and in the app, after which the boarding pass is automatically generated in myRyanair. According to the carrier, the share of passengers with mobile boarding passes previously exceeded 80%.
The company explains the move as an effort to speed up boarding and reduce costs. The information page notes that Ryanair is “moving to 100% Digital Boarding Passes from 12 Nov 2025” and paper boarding passes will no longer be issued. Local exceptions may apply at certain airports, a list of which is published by the company in its explanations.
A number of European publications specify that passengers without a smartphone or without access to the app at the airport will be able to obtain a paper boarding pass after online check-in, and some national regulators remind of the need to respect passenger rights when introducing the digital format.
