The cost of water supply in Ukraine in July 2026 rose by 31.9% compared to June, while the cost of sewer services rose by 29.8%, according to data from the State Statistics Service. On a year-over-year basis, water supply prices rose by 52.1%, and sewerage services by 48.8%. A similar increase was recorded compared to December 2025.
As a result, the entire “housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels” group rose in price by 1.6% month-over-month in July and by 4.5% compared to July of last year.
The cost of garbage collection rose by 5.1% month-over-month and by 16.2% year-over-year. Maintenance of buildings and surrounding areas rose by 5.8% year-over-year.
At the same time, the statistical cost of electricity, natural gas, hot water, and heating in July remained unchanged both compared to June and year-over-year.
Thus, the July spike in the utility component was primarily due to a sharp increase in the cost of water supply and sewer services.
sewer services, State Statistics Service, TARIFF, utilities, WATER SUPPLY
China’s total overseas direct investment (ODI) in the first half of the year increased by 3.8% compared to the same period last year, reaching 596.42 billion yuan ($86.5 billion), according to data from the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Chinese investors made non-financial ODI totaling 453.06 billion yuan in approximately 6,870 companies across 144 countries and regions, China Daily reported, citing data from the agencies. Of this total, investments in countries along the “Belt and Road” amounted to 120.77 billion yuan, down 11.1% from the January–June 2025 period.
The value of overseas contracting work completed by Chinese companies in the first half of the year increased by 8% to 606.26 billion yuan. In Belt and Road participating countries, this figure rose by 11.8% to 520.71 billion yuan.
From January through July 2026, Ukraine exported 24,647 thousand metric tons of manganese ore, which is already 10.6% more than the volume shipped in all of 2025, when 22,281 thousand metric tons were sent abroad.
According to data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in monetary terms, exports for the seven-month period totaled $4.227 million, compared to $3.599 million for all of last year. Thus, foreign exchange earnings have already exceeded the 2025 figure by approximately 17.4%.
Compared to January–July of last year, manganese ore exports have increased more than eightfold. In the first seven months of 2025, Ukraine exported only 2,977 thousand metric tons of ore worth $491 thousand, whereas this year, the volume of shipments reached 24,647 thousand metric tons, with revenue totaling $4.227 million.
Slovakia remains the main market for Ukrainian manganese ore in 2026, accounting for 77.79% of export revenue. Shipments to Georgia accounted for another 22.21%.
In July, Ukraine exported 2,701 thousand metric tons of manganese ore, which is 14.9% more than in June (2,350 thousand metric tons). Thus, exports have been growing for the second consecutive month: in June, growth stood at 36.6% compared to May.
However, monthly trends since the beginning of the year have remained quite volatile. In January, Ukraine exported 4,553 thousand metric tons of ore; in February, approximately 6,072 thousand metric tons; in March, the volume fell to 1,932 thousand metric tons; in April, it rose to 5,319 thousand metric tons; and in May, it fell again to 1,720 thousand metric tons.
In 2025, however, manganese ore exports fell by 50.4% compared to 2024—to 22,281 thousand metric tons.
However, starting in August of last year, exports picked up significantly: 5,037 thousand metric tons were exported in August, 3,993 thousand metric tons in October, 3,860 thousand metric tons in November, and 4,689 thousand metric tons in December.
Ukraine has its own raw material base of manganese ores. The main enterprises involved in their mining and processing are the Pokrovsk and Marganets Mining and Processing Plants in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
EXPORT, MANGANESE, MINING AND PROCESSING PLANT, ORE, SLOVAKIA
Igor Prykhodko, who previously served as acting CEO of the international financial services company NovaPay (TM NovaPay), a member of the Nova Group, has been officially appointed CEO of the company; He assumed his duties on August 11, according to a press release from the financial services company published on Tuesday.
“Igor has been with NovaPay throughout its ten-year journey and knows the company well from the inside. I am confident that his experience, strategic vision, and deep understanding of the business will help the company move to the next stage of development,” the press release quotes Vyacheslav Klimov, co-founder of the Nova Group of Companies, as saying.
According to the press release, Prykhodko has worked in the banking sector and non-bank financial institutions for over 23 years. Since 2005, he has held management positions and, over the years, has worked at Nadra Bank, TAScombank, and other financial institutions.
Prykhodko joined NovaPay in November 2016 as Chief Financial Officer. After the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion, he voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, participated in combat operations, and was subsequently granted veteran status. After completing his military service, he returned to the NovaPay team.
According to Prykhodko, the company will continue to develop digital products, scale its payment infrastructure in Ukraine and abroad, and implement new financial solutions.
“NovaPay is currently in a phase of active growth. My task is to maintain this momentum and ensure that the company’s strategy doesn’t remain on paper but is embodied in the team’s day-to-day decisions,” the NovaPay CEO is quoted as saying in the press release.
The company’s previous CEO was Ihor Syrovatko. NovaPay announced its decision to appoint Syrovatko as CEO in September 2025, and in December, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) approved his candidacy. Prior to that, Andriy Kryvoshapko served as NovaPay’s CEO, having taken the helm of the company in 2016.
As previously reported, the volume of transfers processed through the international financial service in the first half of 2026 increased by 41% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 391 billion hryvnia.
NovaPay was founded in 2001 as an international financial service that is part of the Nova Group (“Nova Poshta”) and provides financial services both online and offline at “Nova Poshta” branches. In 2023, the company became the first non-bank financial institution in Ukraine to receive an expanded license from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), which allowed it to open accounts and issue cards. It was also the first non-bank organization to launch its own financial app with a wide range of financial services at the end of last year.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, the company accounts for approximately 22.7% of the total volume of domestic money transfers.
There are 256 companies registered in Ukraine with Bulgarian beneficial owners that filed financial statements for 2025; 46 of them—or nearly one in six—have annual revenue exceeding 100 million UAH.
The combined revenue of these companies for 2025 totaled 24.72 billion UAH, which is 6% less than the previous year, according to data from Opendatabot published on August 10.
The largest company with Bulgarian owners in terms of revenue was “Construction Machinery,” which distributes construction equipment. Its revenue totaled 4.43 billion UAH, compared to 4.29 billion UAH in 2024.
In second place was “Green Cool,” a company operating in the import and distribution of food products, with revenue of 2.09 billion UAH. A year earlier, the company reported 2.79 billion UAH in revenue.
Third place went to the energy trader “Elementum Energy Trade,” with revenue of 1.85 billion UAH, compared to 1.1 billion UAH in 2024. Next were the Kostopol Glassworks, with 1.8 billion UAH, and the Dniester Wind Farm, with 1.56 billion UAH.
The top ten also included “Plastchem Ukraine” with revenue of 1.51 billion UAH, “Compressors International” with 1.28 billion UAH, “Sopharma Ukraine” with 0.95 billion UAH, the insurance company “Euroins Ukraine” with 0.91 billion UAH, and “Sanvin 5” with 0.7 billion UAH.
Thus, several industries are represented among the largest Ukrainian companies with Bulgarian capital: trade, energy, industrial manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and insurance.
According to Opendatabot, a total of 256 companies with Bulgarian beneficiaries filed financial statements for 2025. At the same time, business concentration is quite high: just 46 companies generate annual revenue exceeding 100 million UAH.
Transportation prices in Ukraine in July 2026 were 18.6% higher than a year earlier, according to data from the State Statistics Service. In just one month, transportation prices rose by 1.3%. The most significant increase was recorded in passenger road transportation—up 6% in July and 30.8% compared to July 2025.
Overall, transportation services rose in price by 28.9% over the year and by 25.7% since the beginning of 2026. Passenger rail transportation became 2.7% more expensive over the month and 15.5% more expensive over the year.
Another significant factor remains the cost of fuel. In July, fuel and lubricants became 0.1% cheaper compared to June; however, compared to July of last year, they were 28% more expensive, and since the beginning of the year—26.5% more expensive.
Thus, transportation costs are rising significantly faster than the overall consumer market: annual inflation in Ukraine stood at 7.7% in July, while transportation inflation was 18.6% and transportation services inflation was 28.9%.
