Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest telecommunications operator, has received permission from the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCCEC) to conduct test trials of Direct to Cell (D2C) satellite technology.
“During the testing, initial research will be conducted on the operation of SpaceX Direct to Cell technology, in particular the possibility of receiving text messages on 4G smartphones in Ukraine,” the company said in a press release on Wednesday.
Kyivstar notes that it is the first electronic communications operator in Europe to launch a new format of direct satellite communication with smartphones, alongside the US, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
The company notes that thanks to Direct to Cell, it plans to provide connectivity in so-called “white spots,” i.e., regions without traditional terrestrial mobile coverage, particularly in remote mountainous and rural areas.
This is especially important in times of war, when infrastructure may be damaged or power is unavailable.
It is noted that in the initial phase of implementation, the technology will allow subscribers to send text messages: users’ 4G/LTE phones will connect directly to a satellite in orbit without the need for additional equipment or software. The technology will work in open areas with a clear view of the sky.
“With this step, we are confirming our technological leadership and are proud to be among the first in the world to launch such an innovation… Our task at the testing stage is to take into account all technical aspects and make the service as convenient and accessible as possible for subscribers,” said Kyivstar CEO Alexander Komarov in the release.
It is noted that the company’s specialists will begin the first beta testing of the service in the summer of 2025 in selected regions of Ukraine, with wider access in test mode for subscribers expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Kyivstar recalled that the first registration of a Kyivstar SIM card in a satellite network was successfully completed in the US at the Starlink laboratory. This allowed the compatibility of the networks to be tested and technical readiness for pilot testing in Ukraine to be confirmed.
At the end of 2024, Kyivstar was the first in Europe to sign an agreement with Starlink, a division of SpaceX, to begin the implementation of Direct to Cell satellite communications in Ukraine.
As of March 2025, Kyivstar served approximately 22.7 million mobile subscribers and over 1.1 million Home Internet subscribers. The company provides services using a wide range of mobile and fixed technologies, including 4G, Big Data, Cloud solutions, cyber security services, digital TV, etc., and has announced investments in new telecom technologies of $1 billion during 2023-2027.
Exports of timber and timber products from Ukraine since the beginning of 2025 amounted to 1.42 million tons, worth $671.8 million, which is 6% or 81.7 thousand tons more than in the same period of 2024, according to the State Customs Service (SCS). The State Customs Service (DMS) press service reported this.
The agency noted that pine products accounted for the largest share of exports (68.6% of the total), followed by spruce (19%) and oak (6.6%).
At the same time, since the beginning of 2025, customs authorities have detected violations amounting to more than UAH 31.4 million. In early May 2025, in cooperation with the State Forestry Agency, a whole scheme of illegal export of 2.9 thousand cubic meters of timber worth UAH 13.6 million was uncovered. In all 98 cases, business entities from one of the country’s regions submitted certificates of origin for timber issued for other consignments of goods to the customs authorities for the export of timber. In all cases, reports on customs violations were drawn up against the entrepreneurs, according to the State Customs Service.
To systematically eliminate the conditions for such violations, the State Customs Service, together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the State Forestry Agency, is preparing proposals for legislative changes that will provide customs authorities with automatic access to information submitted by exporters to obtain certificates.
The State Customs Service added that since the start of the full-scale invasion, confiscated timber worth UAH 14.2 million has been transferred to the defenders of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the European Commission (EC) put forward a proposal to integrate Ukraine into the EU roaming zone from January 2026.
“We want Ukrainian citizens to stay connected with their loved ones across the EU, as well as in their home country. That is why we are offering Ukraine to join our roaming family. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine and its citizens,” said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to the European Commission’s press release, the implementation of its proposal will allow Ukrainians to call, send text messages, and use their mobile data from Ukrainian phone numbers in 27 EU countries at no extra cost. The same benefits will apply to Europeans who may be in Ukraine.
“Roaming is the first sector in which the EU will extend the internal market regime to Ukraine. In practice, this means that travelers from Ukraine visiting the EU and travelers from the EU visiting Ukraine will not pay any additional roaming charges. All mobile services, including calls, text messages, and data, will be charged at domestic rates,” Brussels explained.
The EC has sent its proposal to the EU Council for approval. According to the proposal, Ukraine will effectively join the EU’s “Roam Like at Home” zone on January 1, 2026, the European Commission said.
Ukraine is preparing to announce a tender for the development of the Dobra lithium deposit, which could become the first project within the framework of cooperation with the US, according to the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak.
“Ukraine is preparing to announce a tender for the development of the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad region. This could be the first project within the framework of cooperation with the US. I am glad to see that the process is moving forward and that the results of our meetings in Washington a week ago are turning into concrete actions,” Yermak wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
For more details on the prospects for rare earth element mining in Ukraine, see the video from the Experts Club analytical center – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHeBfpywpQc&t
Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainians have imported over 181,000 passenger cars, of which almost 80% are used. Despite the significant quantitative advantage of such vehicles, new cars accounted for almost half of the total import value – $1.2 billion out of $2.57 billion. At the same time, the value of used cars is $1.37 billion.
Used cars provided UAH 16 billion in customs duties to the state budget, while new cars provided UAH 10.7 billion.
The type of fuel chosen by Ukrainian consumers reflects both stable preferences and gradual changes in trends. Gasoline cars remain the most popular, accounting for almost half (48.5%) of all imports. Electric cars are in second place (22.1%), not only overtaking diesel (20.6%) but also significantly outperforming hybrids (8.8%).
Electric transport has become the most dynamic segment of the car market. Since the beginning of the year, more than 40,000 electric vehicles with a total value of $810 million have been imported into Ukraine. For comparison, twice as many gasoline cars were imported, but their total value is not much higher — $818 million.
If this trend continues, 2025 could be a record year for the number of electric cars imported.
The average cost of an electric car imported into Ukraine is over $20,000, a diesel car is almost $13,000, and a gasoline car is over $9,000.
It is also interesting that electric cars, although they belong to the more expensive segment, brought a relatively modest 333 million hryvnia in customs duties to the budget. This is due to the current tax breaks on imports of electric vehicles. For comparison, taxes on imports of gasoline cars amounted to over UAH 13 billion, diesel cars — UAH 7.7 billion, and hybrids — UAH 5.5 billion. In total, customs revenues from car imports amounted to UAH 26.7 billion in five months.
Since the beginning of 2025, passenger cars have been imported from more than 50 countries, but the undisputed leaders are:
USA — 69,000 (38% of the total number imported);
Poland — 22,300 (12%);
Germany — 20,400 (11%).
A total of almost 111,700 cars were imported from these countries, accounting for over 60% of the total. The US dominates the gasoline car and electric vehicle segments. Germany and Poland are the leaders in diesel cars.
The global market for humanoid robots could grow to $1.4-1.7 trillion by 2050, according to UBS analysts. They estimate that in 10 years, the market will be replenished with 2 million such robots, and by 2050, their number could reach 300 million, which will help solve the problem of labor shortages.
The feasibility of using robots is due to an aging population, a shortage of labor resources, and low labor productivity growth in the service sector, according to a new UBS report.
At the same time, the bank’s analysts expect that the turning point, after which the rapid spread of anthropomorphic robots will begin, will not come before 2030.
“We see some obstacles that need to be overcome before production can gain momentum,” they write. “These are related to the development of AI, the formation of data arrays, and regulation.”
Over the next 20 years, the price of humanoid robots and the cost of their operation could fall by more than 70%, driven by increased production volumes and improved supply chains, according to UBS.
The development of the sector will bring significant benefits to automation companies, manufacturers of automotive components, semiconductors, and batteries, as well as suppliers of rare earth metals.
UBS estimates that the production of 86 million humanoid robots in 2050 will generate additional revenues of $400 billion for the automation market and $7 billion for the rare earth metals market, which is four times and twice the 2025 figures, respectively.
For more information on the prospects for rare earth element mining in Ukraine (without which robots cannot be created), see the video from the Experts Club analytical center – The global market for humanoid robots could reach $1.7 trillion by 2050.
