Polish protesters plan to resume blocking trucks in the direction of the checkpoint “Korchova-Krakovec” from March 13, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reports. “On March 13, protesters plan to resume blocking trucks in the direction of the checkpoint “Korchova-Krakovets”,” the State Border Service said in a message in the Telegram channel on Monday.
The message also states that from today from “9.00 protesters will not let trucks through the checkpoint “Ugrinov” in the direction of Poland. At the exit from Poland will be allowed 4 trucks every hour”. Earlier this was reported by the speaker of the state Border service Andrey Demchenko on the air of the national telethon.
“In the direction of checkpoints “Dorogusk-Yagodin”, “Zosin-Ustilug”, “Dolgobichiv-Ugrinov”, “Hrebene – Rava-Russkaya”, “Medica-Shegini” restriction of movement for cargo vehicles continues”, – noted in the message of the state Border service.
“The movement of passenger vehicles and buses in all directions is not limited”, – stated in the message.
As reported with reference to Demchenko, on the night of March 8-9 Polish farmers stopped blocking the direction through the checkpoint “Korchova-Krakovets”, and on it since then significantly increased the load, there also formed queues. “Over these last days we see the intensity of traffic exactly at this checkpoint… That is, the intensity there is quite high with the possibility of crossing the border in both directions. But, of course, and in this direction the queue remains: as of this morning it is about 600 trucks,” – said Demchenko.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has identified grounds for banning the acquisition of control over lifecell group by French billionaire Xavier Niel’s DVL Telecom, a member of NJJ group.
In particular, the antitrust agency believes that it is necessary to check the relationship of control of lifecell itself and the parent company Turkcell with the person to whom the decision of the national security and defense Council of Ukraine applied personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions).
“When considering applications for the acquisition of control over the group “Lifecell” by the company “DVL Telecom” arose the need to verify the relationship of control of the participants of the concentration, in particular the group “Lifecell” and the group “Turkcell” with the person to whom the personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) applied by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine,” – said the press service of the AMCU on Monday.
The report states that, having considered the applications on the acquisition of control by DVL Telecom over Lifecell LLC, Global Bilgi LLC and Ukrtauer LLC (lifecell group), the AMCU has identified grounds for banning the said concentrations.
“Given that the concentrations in the form of acquisition by DVL Telecom of control over Lifecell LLC, Ukrtauer LLC and Global Bilgi LLC constitute a single transaction and will take place under a single sale and purchase agreement, a separate authorization for DVL Telecom’s acquisition of control over Global Bilgi LLC cannot be granted by the Committee either,” the AMCU notes.
Considering the above, on March 7, 2024, the Committee again started consideration of the concentration cases in the form of acquisition by DVL Telecom of control over Lifesell, Global Bilgi and Ukrtauer LLC. At the same time began consideration of the case on concerted actions, which are directly related to the implementation of these concentrations, specified in the press service.
Earlier it was reported that at the meeting on March 7 AMCU allowed DVL Telecom to acquire control over Datagroup Holding Limited (“Datagroup-Volya”). In addition, the antimonopoly agency allowed concerted actions between NJJ UPAM (Paris, France), Lorimer II Ventures Limited (Nicosia, Cyprus), DVL Telecom (Paris, France) and a natural person – citizen of Ukraine in the form of implementation of provisions on refraining from competition, provided by Section 19 of the shareholders’ agreement, which will be concluded between these entities for a period of five years.
On December 29, 2023, Turkcell, a Turkish company, signed an agreement to transfer 100% of the shares, as well as all rights and debts of Lifecell LLC (TM lifecell), Ukraine’s third largest mobile operator, including contact center outsourcing company Global Bilgi LLC and tower rental service provider Ukrtauer LLC, to the French investment company NJJ Capital.
The decision to sign the agreement was made by the Board of Directors on December 20, but as early as May 9 it decided not to disclose information about the possible deal. Turkcell specified that the nominal price of Lifesell shares is UAH 12 billion 711.849 million, Global Bilgi – UAH 47.226 million and Ukrtauer – UAH 1 billion 964.04 million.
Authorized representatives of NJJ Capital (Paris, France) and Global Bilgi LLC (Kyiv, Ukraine) applied to the Antimonopoly Committee (AMCU) for authorization of NJJ Capital to indirectly acquire a part in the authorized capital of Global Bilgi, which provides for exceeding 50% of votes in the supreme governing body of the company, as well as parts providing for exceeding 50% of votes in the supreme governing bodies of Lifesell and Ukrtauer on December 29, 2023. The applications were returned to them as they did not meet the requirements set by the committee.
On January 23, 2024, AMCU received a second application to acquire the stake that provides control in Lifsell, Global Bilgi and Ukrtauer LLC from DVL Telecom, a member of the NJJ group.
According to market participants, a problem for the completion of the deal may also be the partial seizure of stakes in the companies being sold on charges against the under-sanctioned Mikhail Fridman, who indirectly controls a minority stake in Turkcell.
Production Enterprise Tekhmash JSC (Dnipro) plans to allocate UAH 5 million of retained earnings for dividends in 2023 at the rate of UAH 16,667 thousand per share with a par value of UAH 8.
According to the draft decision of the general meeting of shareholders of the JSC published in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) on April 11, dividends are planned to be paid by October 11, 2024.
According to the company, in 2023, according to preliminary data, it received UAH 0.19 million in net profit compared to UAH 0.51 million a year earlier, and retained earnings at the beginning of this year amounted to UAH 76.13 million.
As of the third quarter of 2023, 61% of the authorized capital of Tekhmash is owned by its director Oleksandr Kolomoits, while four other individuals hold a total of 28% of the shares. The authorized capital of the company is UAH 2.4 million.
According to the company, in 2023, Tekhmash reduced its current liabilities by 22.5% compared to 2022, to UAH 47.76 million, and long-term liabilities to zero compared to UAH 1.9 million.
The company managed to reduce its total receivables by almost 40% to UAH 49.62 million over the year, while the value of assets decreased by 17% to UAH 134.62 million. At the same time, inventories grew by 30% to UAH 31.15 million, and cash by 29.7% to UAH 18.56 million.
The company, according to Clarity-project, increased its net sales revenue by 19.2% in 2023 to UAH 165.28 million compared to 2022.
At the beginning of this year, it employed 229 people, down 23% from a year earlier.
Techmash’s core business is the installation of process equipment, pipelines, and the manufacture of equipment for various industries, including conveyors (scraper, belt, and screw), tank equipment, metal structures, and aspiration air ducts.
Mstislav Chernov’s “20 Days in Mariupol” won in the Best Feature Documentary category of the Academy Awards, according to the Associated Press.
At the awards ceremony, Mstislav Chernov took the stage to collect his award.
“Movies shape memories, and memories shape history,” Chernov said.
The Associated Press and PBS “Frontline” team that produced the documentary received a standing ovation from the audience. This is the first Oscar for both Ukraine and the Associated Press.
“20 Days in Mariupol” chronicles the first weeks of fighting in Mariupol in the Donetsk region during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Director and photographer Mstislav Chernov, photographer Eugene Maloletka and producer and journalist Vasilisa Stepanenko worked on the movie. They were the last journalists to cover the beginning of Russia’s destruction of Mariupol, for which all three won the Pulitzer Prize.
The movie became the highest-grossing documentary in Ukraine last year, collecting 500 thousand UAH only for the first weekend of distribution.
As reported, the documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” won the BAFTA award of the British Academy.
Ukrainian steelmakers increased production of total rolled products by 52.5% year-on-year to 900 thousand tons from 590 thousand tons in January-February this year, according to preliminary data.
According to Ukrmetallurgprom on Friday, steel production increased by 52% in January-February 2023 to 1.076 million tons from 708 thousand tons during this period.
Pig iron production increased by 42.5% to 1.050 million tons from 737 thousand tons.
As reported, in January-2024, the company increased production of total rolled products by 75.9% year-on-year to 453 thousand tons from 257 thousand tons, steel by 91.6% to 544 thousand tons from 284 thousand tons, and pig iron by 44.5% to 555 thousand tons from 384 thousand tons.
In 2023, Ukraine increased its production of total rolled products by 0.4% compared to 2022 to 5.372 million tons, but reduced steel production by 0.6% to 6.228 million tons and pig iron by 6.1% to 6.003 million tons.
In 2022, Ukraine reduced production of total rolled products by 72% compared to 2021, to 5.350 million tons, steel by 70.7% to 6.263 million tons, and pig iron by 69.8% to 6.391 million tons.
In 2021, the company produced 21.165 million tons of pig iron (103.6% compared to 2020), 21.366 million tons of steel (103.6%), and 19.079 million tons of rolled products (103.5%).