The State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, which is being created by the decision of the government on Friday on the basis of the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects and the State Road Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), will be responsible for the implementation of projects for the restoration of Ukraine, said Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.
“The most important thing is that we have a structure that is responsible for the efficiency, transparency and accountability of infrastructure restoration … The new agency will be able to implement ambitious plans into reality,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday evening.
Kubrakov, explaining the choice of the basis for the creation of a new agency, noted that the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects throughout its history has performed similar tasks for the state – large-scale projects involving both budget and external financing.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that Ukravtodor, which Kubrakov himself headed until May 2021, although he had previously focused mainly on road infrastructure, showed record results of successfully completed projects over the past three years.
Ukravtodor is the largest and most successful partner of international financial institutions. Reconstruction financing has already begun and, as expected, the main instrument is through the procedures of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
According to him, on the basis of Ukravtodor, two key reforms are already being implemented as part of a major joint project with the EBRD and the EIB – anti-corruption and procurement reform, after which Ukravtodor will become the first public institution in Ukraine to receive ISO international certification for the prevention of corruption, and procurement specialists will receive international CIPS certification.
In addition, Ukravtodor has powerful representative offices in the regions with decent salaries and a flexible motivation system in accordance with successfully implemented projects, and in 2021 it issued infrastructure eurobonds, Kubrakov also pointed out.
“In order for the new Agency to be able to successfully cope with the tasks set, we are initiating negotiations with our partners to update the Reform Support Team on the basis of the Agency and launch an anti–corruption office in the center and in the regions,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
The program of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which starts on Monday, includes several events concerning Ukraine. On Thursday, January 19, in particular, Andrey Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, will present the Ukrainian peace formula for 45 minutes.
Earlier on Tuesday, First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, head of Naftogaz Ukrainy Oleksiy Chernyshov, EBRD president Odile Renault-Basso and Finnish Foreign Minister Ville Skinnari will discuss “Ukraine: what next?
In addition, on Tuesday, two more sessions will be devoted to the discussion of the second year of the war in Europe and the defense of the continent. They will be attended by Presidents Andrzej Duda of Poland, Gitanas Nausseda of Lithuania, Maya Sandu of Moldova, Sanna Marin of Finland, Eduard Heger of Slovakia, Stevo Pendarovski of Northern Macedonia, Svetlana Tihanovska, leader of democratic forces in Belarus, and in the evening Henry Kissinger will talk about historical views on the war.
On the same day, the forum will include special speeches by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
On Wednesday, CNN’s Farid Zakaria will discuss with Sviridenko, Duda, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes the restoration of security and peace.
The Ukrainian House, co-sponsored by the Western NIS Enterprise Fund, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Horizon Capital, and the Ukraine is You Project of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre, will also work on the sidelines of the WEF in Davos from January 16-19.
Additionally, on January 19, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation will hold a discussion during the traditional Ukrainian Breakfast.
Kametsteel, owned by mining and metallurgical group Metinvest, based at Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works (DMK, Kamenskoye, Dnepropetrovsk region), carried out 80 equipment overhauls in 2022.
According to the company’s press release, last year for Kametstal as well as for all the enterprises of Metinvest group was the most difficult in its history. However, in spite of all wartime difficulties, logistical and energy constraints, the plant worked, fulfilling steel production tasks and systematically restoring basic equipment.
Thus, in 2022 Kametstal performed 80 overhauls in its production units. Among the most important ones are overhauls of blast furnace No.9, converter No.2, sintering machine No.12, coke oven battery No.1-bis and others.
Also within the year, 638 preventive-maintenance repairs were made at the plant, aimed at increase of reliability and efficiency of machines and equipment operation. Totally 222 items of equipment were systematically repaired.
The repairs were performed by specialists of Metallurgical Shop, Metallurgical Equipment Repair Shop, Power Shop and other repair subdivisions and services of Kametstal jointly with main contractor – Metinvest-Promservice. In particular, on the continuous casting machine No. 1, on the ladle-furnace plant No. 1, on the 400/200 rolling mill, on the ball rolling mill and others.
“We have a lot of plans for 2023, first of all, the execution of 119 overhauls of the main equipment in the blast furnace, coke, converter, rolling and other shops,” said Vyacheslav Kekalo, Acting Engineering Director of Kametstal, quoted by the press service.
Earlier it was reported that Kametstal resumed iron smelting in mid-December after the temporary suspension of production due to the shelling of the energy structure.
“Kametstal” was created on the basis of PJSC “Dneprovskyy Coke Chemical Plant” (DKHZ) and the CEC of PJSC “Dneprovskyy Metallurgical Plant” (DMK).
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical companies. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions, in European countries.
The major shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%) that jointly manage it.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest group.
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, has brought the total capacity of generators in its network to 37 MW, of which 20 MW are large stationary generators to back up key technology sites, company president Alexander Komarov said.
“These grid facilities are fully backed up and have enough fuel to cope with the consequences of the blackout. Only yesterday there were 14 outages of technological sites in 8 regions of Ukraine”, – he noted.
Komarov added that in January-February the company plans to increase the number of stationary and mobile diesel generators at other network sites by another 40% to 14 MW.
“As of today, we have 700 stationary and mobile diesel generators with a total capacity of about 10 MW. In January-February, we will increase their number and, accordingly, the capacity by another 40% – up to 14 MW,” – wrote the president of Kyivstar.
According to him, despite of all efforts, the available capacities are not enough. Komarov appealed for cooperation to representatives of businesses that have generators with a capacity of 6 kW and can connect telecom equipment within the campaign “Business unites for victory” to make it work during periods of power outage.
“To date, we have about 400 connections to third-party generators whose (combined) capacity is about 3 MW. And also in the processing of more than 600 more applications, we are analyzing the technical possibility of connection,” – said the president of Kyivstar.
In December the director of the Department of Fixed Internet Development of the Ministry of Communications Yuri Matsik reported that only 7% of 32 thousand mobile stations are equipped with generators and 93% with accumulators. According to him, generators with a capacity of 20-30 kW are needed for the communication center, where there is traffic switching. For the base station it is 6-8 kW.
Structure of registered unemployed as of 12.01.2022 by age group
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group, as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front militarized initiative, handed over four modern drones to scouts in the Avdiivka direction, continuing to support Ukraine’s defenders in the fight against the Russian aggressor.
The company’s press release specifies that the tactical equipment provided protects operators’ lives from enemy attacks, as specialists can control the drone from long distances without exposing themselves to direct danger.
“They (drones – IF) are effective for suppressing the enemy, artillery work and at night for infantry, because lately the enemy is very much making installation for night maneuvers, for night advancement,” explains Colonel Alexander Danilchenko of the AFU, quoted by the press service, noting the productive assistance of Metinvest, which it began to provide since March last year.
At the same time, it is noted that for eleven months Avdeevka has been subjected to hostile shelling. Stubborn battles are going on nearby every day, as the enemy is trying to expand the borders of the occupation. However, the AFU and defense forces are heroically defending the city and neighboring frontline territories.
“In Avdeevka we have not conceded a single step, even in some positions we have advanced,” Danilchenko stressed.
The press release reminds that Metinvest Group is one of the first companies in Ukraine to start supplying drones to the AFU.
“The company systematically supplies our military with body armor and helmets, burners and fuel, helps to equip defensive structures and transfers mobile shelters made of strong steel. Today we are making another contribution to the forthcoming common victory over the invaders. I am sure that the “birds” will be useful and will help our defenders to repulse the enemy”, noted Acting General Director of Avdiivka KHP Yuriy Ktsinenko.
It is also reported that Metinvest organizes the search and delivery of important tactical equipment and machinery to Ukraine in order to strengthen the army’s defense capabilities in different parts of the front. The company has already transferred approximately 1,700 thermal imaging cameras, 1,000 drones and quadcopters, and 312 vehicles, including ambulances, to the fighters. And 1 million liters of fuel have been provided to refuel the vehicles.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as in European countries.
The major shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%) that manage it jointly.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest group.
