The EU authorities blocked the assets of 29.5 billion euros of individuals and organizations included in the sanctions lists for the Russian Federation and Belarus, according to a press release issued by the European Commission on Friday.
“More than half of EU Member States have reported asset freeze measures to the European Commission. They have reported a €29.5 billion asset freeze, including yachts, helicopters, real estate, and €6.7 billion worth of art,” the report reads. document.
It also refers to the blocking of relevant transactions in the amount of 196 billion euros.
The press release clarifies that such measures are being taken within the framework of the working group created by the EU in March to block the assets of sanctioned persons and structures. The European Commission recalled that on Friday the members of the group are meeting with representatives of the United States and Ukraine to discuss cooperation in this area and that such meetings will continue to be regular.
The gross domestic product of Ukraine in the first quarter of 2022 fell by 16% compared to the same period last year, the country’s Ministry of Economy estimates.
“Our forecast for GDP decline in the first quarter is 16%, and the annual decline could reach 40%,” First Deputy Minister Denis Kudin is quoted in a press release from the department.
He noted that those industries where remote work is impossible, in particular, aviation, maritime transportation, and the service sector, where businesses work directly with consumers, have suffered the most.
At the same time, Kudin pointed out that over the past 10 days, the economy as a whole has begun to recover, business in safe regions is returning to work, and farmers have begun sowing.
The ministry noted that in the process of economic recovery, special attention will be paid to supporting industries that directly provide for the livelihoods of citizens and strengthen the defense capability of the state. “We are talking about agriculture, food production, retail, utilities and energy services, industries working on mobilization orders,” the press release says.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Ukraine in March of this year exported 5.97 million tons of goods worth $2.7 billion, which is more than half the quantity and value indicators for February. Imports fell three times – to 1.6 million tons for $1.8 billion.
Ores, corn, ferroalloys and oil remained the main export items. The export of metals (including flat-rolled products – decreased by almost 10 times, to 47,000 tons) and agricultural products was especially affected, the ministry noted.
“For some metallurgy positions, exports were not made at all. This is primarily due to the physical destruction of metallurgical facilities and the stoppage of production,” the ministry commented.
In March, Ukraine exported 1.1 million tons of corn, 309 thousand tons of wheat, 118 thousand tons of sunflower oil, 40 thousand tons of soybeans. This is four times less than in February.
Currently, the most important imports are gas, oil, oil products and coal.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says that from the point of view of state budget expenditures, a day of war costs UAH 2 billion, and from the point of view of losses – $4 billion.
“There are two numbers. How much a day of war costs in terms of state budget expenditures, how much we pay, and how much we need. This is in the region of UAH 2 billion, which is what it costs us to conduct hostilities, pay wages, and so on. And there are other expenses – $4 billion in losses, which costs us every day of the war in terms of the destruction of our infrastructure, the loss of economic potential, the loss of future GDP,” Shmyhal said in an interview on the air of the national telethon on Friday morning.
The prime minister said that Ukraine’s losses are, among other things, a reduction in the sowing campaign by 20% and the inability to fully realize its export potential.
Given the closure of transit through the territory of Belarus and the Russian Federation, as well as an increase in the number of freight transport by road, a number of restrictions are being removed or adjusted from April 4, 2022, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine announced on its Facebook page on Monday.
According to the report, in particular, the period of validity of the electronic application for permits has been extended from seven to 10 days.
In addition, the following changes have been adopted for carriers: Poland – increased to five permits of all types per vehicle from April to May; Czech Republic – increased to two permits of all types but one vehicle up to 10 tons (for a month); Serbia – the restriction on travel across the country for vehicles up to 10 tons has been lifted; Romania – temporary registration of permits of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan for vehicles of the ecological standard Euro-3 and higher.
The Ministry of Infrastructure notes that from the very beginning of the war, it has been conducting systemic negotiations with partner countries on the abolition of the permit system for the period of martial law.
“As of April 4, we managed to agree on the cancellation of bilateral and transit permits for transportation through the territory of six countries of the European Union, in particular from Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, as well as through the territory of Georgia and Turkey. Slovakia also provided transportation without permits,” the report says.
In addition, as noted, a mechanism has been established for permit-free passage of all humanitarian cargo with Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania.
Spending on the payment of salaries in the public sector has been reduced by 10%, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said.
“We have already reduced the total cost of wages in the public sector, except for the budgetary sector, meaning civil servants, not teachers and not doctors, by 10%. We have reduced costs by 10% in the Cabinet of Ministers, the President’s Office, the Verkhovna Rada,” Shmyhal said in an interview on the air of the national telethon on Friday morning.
The prime minister noted that the authorities intend, if necessary, to continue the trend to reduce the cost of wages in the public sector.
He also added that expenditures directly on the functioning of the government, parliament and the President’s Office have also decreased.
“Everything that can be abandoned, we do away with, and we redirect everything to the needs of the army and the Armed Forces,” Shmyhal said.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has canceled the payment of labor intensity bonuses for the prime minister, ministers, their deputies and heads of regional and Kyiv state administrations until 2024.
The operator of the GTS of Ukraine (OGTSU) reports on gross interference by representatives of Russia and illegal armed groups controlled by them, the so-called. “LNR” in the operational work and technological processes of gas transportation through the compressor station (CS) “Novopskov” in the Luhansk region.
“The Novopskov CS is an important facility for organizing gas transportation to consumers in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Almost a third of the transit to Europe from the Sokhranivka gas measuring station (GIS) also passes through this station,” the OGTSU said on Friday.
According to it, a number of actions by the occupiers were recorded, providing for changes in the operation of communication equipment and technological modes, which in fact could lead to the loss of operational control over the CS equipment.
“This will lead to significant risks to the integrity of the gas transmission system, the stability of gas transportation regimes, and as a result, the impossibility of transporting gas through the CS, in particular, under a transit contract,” the GTS Operator of Ukraine explained.
The Ukrainian company called on the representatives of the aggressor to refrain from further pressure on its employees and interference in the work of the Constitutional Court.
“Otherwise, in case of loss of operational control, the OGTSU will be forced to stop the operation of this facility in order to maintain the integrity and safe operation of the GTS. Stopping the Novopskov CS means stopping transit through the Sokhranovka GIS. Responsibility for the consequences lies with the Russian Federation,” – emphasized in the message.
On April 6, OGTSU Director General Sergey Makogon said that since the beginning of the war unleashed by Russia, three main gas pipelines have been damaged, four compressor stations have been seized by the invaders, two gas distribution stations (GDS) have been destroyed, and another 48 GDS have been stopped.
