On Wednesday, the price of gold on the spot market exceeded $4,500 per ounce for the first time in history, setting a new record.
By 8:31 a.m. Kyiv time, the spot price of gold had risen 0.1% to $4,490.56 per ounce, and earlier in the session it had risen to a record $4,525.77 per ounce. Futures on the Comex exchange also set a new historic high of $4,555.1 per ounce.
By 9:00 a.m. Kyiv time, these contracts had fallen back to $4,520.6 per ounce, which is 0.3% higher than the previous trading day.
Investors continue to buy gold as a safe-haven asset amid growing geopolitical tensions and expectations of further easing of the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy amid a cooling labor market and slowing inflation. An additional factor is weak market liquidity at the end of the year, which exacerbates price volatility.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in its video on YouTube channel — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=BywddHO-JFWFqUFA
Concorde Capital investment group plans to launch 18.4 MW of gas-piston power generation in early 2026, which is currently in the construction phase , founder and owner Igor Mazepa said.
“Our Encraft energy project is a network of distributed generation facilities and energy storage systems. We act as an investor, structure financing, attract partners and are responsible for the further sale of the business,” he wrote on his Facebook page after a meeting with CEO Club participants.
In addition, Mazepa said the group plans to introduce 40 MW/160 MW*h energy storage systems in different regions of Ukraine by the end of 2026.
“The context that everyone is well aware of: generation deficit, volatile prices and demand for flexible capacity. According to our estimates, these conditions will persist at least until 2029,” he noted.
Concorde Capital founder noted that the group is open to co-investment in the said project.
“Energy today is not an abstract ‘idea’, but a concrete investment logic backed by a team of strong specialists and real numbers,” he believes.
As reported with reference to Mazepa, Concorde Capital planned to invest EUR120 mln in energy projects by the end of 2025 and expected to be able to build an energy company worth over $1 bln in “a couple of years”. In early 2025, Mazepa, with the help of four unnamed partners, purchased a 50 MW energy storage system for EUR32 mln and planned to contract equipment for a gas-fired power plant for EUR30 mln to create a single energy complex.
Representatives of JSC Khmelnytskoblenergo and French EDF International Networks have agreed on the technical parameters for the modernization of power grid equipment as part of the development of design and estimate documentation for the grant project for the transition to 20 kV.
“The modernization envisages the transfer of power grids to 20 kV, which meets EU standards and will improve the reliability of electricity distribution. Funding in the amount of EUR 13 million is provided by a grant from the French government,” Khmelnytskoblenergo said on its website on Monday.
As noted in the company, Khmelnytskoblenergo and EDF continue to implement a EUR13 million project to increase the resilience of electricity distribution networks. The essence of the project is to modernize and digitalize power grids, substations, distribution points, and change the grid voltage from 10 to 20 kV.
“This is the only such project in Ukraine that will be implemented with grant funds,” the regional power company added.
Within the framework of the project, preliminary designs of 0.4/20 kV substations and networks have already been approved, a geodetic survey of the design zone of networks and substations has been conducted, and the criteria and requirements for protecting data transmission channels have been determined.
According to the project, power grids will be switched to 20 kV within the selected location, which will significantly improve the reliability of electricity distribution for 19 thousand customers. Two 10/20 kV transformers will be installed at the two substations, and one 20 kV switchgear will be installed at each substation. It is estimated that 50 km of 20 kV cable lines will be laid and 82 transformer substations will be converted to 20 kV. Fiber-optic lines will be laid alongside the cables to build an efficient telemetry system that will display information at the dispatcher’s workstation.
According to Yuriy Mayevsky, First Deputy CEO of Khmelnytskoblenergo, working meetings between his company and EDF take place several times a week in the course of the project.
“We have put a lot of effort into the preparation and implementation of the project. It will be important for the development of Ukraine’s entire energy sector using modern European technologies. As a result, a clear plan for the modernization and development of the region’s power grids will be formed. And this will become an example for other regions of the country,” he said.
Khmelnytskoblenergo reminded that the grant project is being implemented under an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France to promote the restoration and support of critical infrastructure and priority sectors of the economy, and is also aimed at implementing a memorandum between the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and EDF International Network.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/economic/1131052.html
On December 18, 2025, the Ukrainian Building Awards 2025 took place at the Hyatt Regency Kyiv hotel, which became the final and key event of the professional year for the architectural, construction, development, and design community of Ukraine.
The event brought together 939 industry representatives — developers, architects, designers, business leaders, as well as representatives of communities and state institutions.
The Ukrainian Building Awards goes beyond a classic awards ceremony and serves as a platform for professional dialogue, recognition, and the formation of industry standards in the context of the country’s transformation.
The event began with a musical performance by Dima Prokopov, a moment of silence, and the performance of the National Anthem of Ukraine.
The founder of the award, CEO of the DMNTR media group Igor Parubsky, Igor Guda (Creator-Bud), Tetiana Skrypka (Metinvest, Steel Dream project), Yevhen Metsger (Ukrfinzhytlo), and chief architect of the city of Kyiv Oleksandr Svistunov.
The key categories of the award included “Creator of the Year,” “Interior of the Year,” and, for the first time, the YELLOW national award for product design.
Vlasne Misto and KAN Development took first place in the Developer of the Year category.
The YELLOW Grand Prix was awarded to the raw: composites (raw: materials lab) project for its innovative and sustainable approach to the materials of the future.
A separate part of the ceremony was dedicated to developers and companies that are shaping the cities of the future, including Kreator-Bud, SENSAR Development, Martynov Real Estate, Stolitsa Group, 450 GROUP, BGV Development, Taryan Group, BUDOVA, InterGal-Bud, KAN Development, DIM, HutJet, and others.
The final part of the awards ceremony was dedicated to social impact, urban development, support for veterans, and preservation of cultural heritage.
The event concluded with musical performances and a concert by the band SKAI.
Organizer: DMNTR media group
General partner: Creator-Bud
General information partners: Interfax-Ukraine, FOCUS
Additional information: www.ubc-ua.info/uba
Interfax-Ukraine is the official information partner of the awards.
Weather in Ukraine on Christmas Day, December 25, is expected without precipitation, the wind is predominantly north-western, 5-10 m / s, reports Ukrhydrometcenter. The temperature at night 7-12° frost, in the daytime 1-6° frost; in Transcarpathia and Crimea at night 0-5° frost, in the afternoon from 1° frost to 4° heat. In Kiev on Thursday, December 25, also without precipitation, wind north-west, 5-10 m/s. The temperature at night 8-10° frost, during the day 2-4° frost.
According to the Central Geophysical Observatory named after Boris Sreznevsky. Borys Sreznevsky, for the entire time of meteorological research on December 25 in Kiev, the highest temperature was 8.2° of heat in 2014, the lowest 21.0° of frost in 1969.
On Friday, December 26, at night in the northern, Kharkiv, Poltava, Cherkassy regions, in the afternoon throughout Ukraine, except for the extreme west, snow, snowstorm, icy roads are expected.
Northwest wind, 7-12 m/s, at night in the northern regions, in the afternoon in Ukraine gusts of 15-20 m/s. The temperature at night is 3-8° frost, up to 12° frost in the Carpathians and the Carpathian region; during the day from 3° frost to 2° warm, in the east of the country 1-6° frost. In Kiev on December 26, snow, snowstorms in the afternoon, icy roads. The wind is northwesterly, 7-12 m/s, with gusts of 15-20 m/s. The temperature at night 4-6° of frost, during the day about 0°.
Land tax revenues to local budgets in January-November 2025 amounted to UAH 41.4 billion, which is 15% more than in the same period last year, according to the State Tax Service (STS).
According to the report, the leaders in land payments in regional terms were Dnipropetrovsk region (UAH 7.3 billion in taxes paid), Kyiv (UAH 5.9 billion), Odesa region (UAH 3.7 billion), and Lviv region (UAH 2.9 billion).
The STS reminded that every taxpayer has the right to check the correctness of land tax calculations and, if necessary, clarify their data. To do this, they must apply to the tax authority in writing or electronically, in particular to clarify the size of the area and the number of land plots or shares owned or used, as well as the availability of land tax exemptions.
The relevant application can be submitted either at the place of registration of the taxpayer or at the location of one of the land plots.
If, during the verification, there are discrepancies between the tax authority’s data and the taxpayer’s documents (ownership, use, exemptions, etc.) or if the land tax rate has changed, the State Tax Service will recalculate the tax within 10 working days, generate a new tax notice-decision with a detailed calculation, and send it to the taxpayer. In this case, the previous notice-decision is considered canceled (revoked).
The State Tax Service suggests checking the information about the accrued land tax in the electronic office.
