French company GE Vernova and PJSC Zaporizhzhyaoblenergo have signed a EUR13 million agreement to manufacture and supply two mobile substations to the network operator to strengthen the region’s energy resilience, according to the government’s Telegram channel.
“This contract is the last one under the EUR200 million intergovernmental grant agreement between Ukraine and France. Within its framework, 19 projects have been approved in the fields of energy, healthcare, water supply, transport, and demining,” the statement said.
It specifies that 50% of the EUR200 million in non-repayable aid can be used to purchase Ukrainian goods and services.
Egypt is a country that Ukrainians perceive as mostly neutral, with a slight positive bias. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club think tank in April 2025.
According to the survey, 68.2% of respondents expressed a neutral attitude toward Egypt, which is one of the highest figures among all countries. A total of 17.6% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward this country (13.8% mostly positive, 3.7% completely positive), while 7.1% have a negative perception (6.0% mostly negative, 1.1% completely negative). Another 7.1% of respondents abstained from answering.
“Egypt is traditionally associated in Ukraine mainly with tourism, but it has no significant political or humanitarian presence in the context of the war. This explains the high level of neutrality,” commented Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
In turn, Maxim Urakin, founder of Experts Club, noted that Egypt has been one of our country’s most profitable trading partners for many years, based on the positive trade balance. However, according to the expert, trade is currently a secondary factor in the minds of Ukrainians compared to moral and political support in the international arena.
At the same time, the neutral-positive perception of Egypt opens up opportunities for deeper cooperation at the diplomatic and cultural levels if the parties so desire.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Among all countries covered by the sociological survey, Algeria turned out to be one of the least known to Ukrainian society, as evidenced by a record high level of neutral responses. These results were published by Active Group in partnership with the Experts Club think tank in April 2025.
According to the survey, 73.6% of Ukrainians said they had a neutral attitude toward Algeria. Only 8.2% of respondents have a positive opinion of the country (6.5% mostly positive, 1.7% completely positive), while 8.8% expressed a negative opinion (6.4% mostly negative, 2.4% completely negative). Another 9.3% were unable to answer.
“Algeria remains terra incognita for most Ukrainians — a country about which there is a lack of information in the Ukrainian media, which explains the extremely high level of neutrality,” said Maxim Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
These results demonstrate the potential for developing intercultural dialogue, but also point to the limited diplomatic and humanitarian presence of Algeria in Ukraine.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Ukrgazvydobuvannya, a member of the Naftogaz Group, set a new drilling record in January-March 2025, reaching 107,136 meters, which is almost twice as much than in the same period of 2024 and exceeds the previous quarterly maximum recorded in the third quarter of 2024 (102,866 meters).
“Increasing domestic gas production is strategically important for Ukraine. Ukrgazvydobuvannya’s record figures, achieved despite hostile shelling, confirm the professionalism of the team and make a significant contribution to strengthening our country’s energy security,” said Naftogaz CEO Roman Chumak, whose words are quoted in a statement on the Group’s website on Wednesday.
According to him, March was the most productive month, with 41,229 meters drilled, which is 6,929 meters more than the planned target (34,300 meters).
“Thus, the monthly record set in April 2024 of 40,059 meters was also broken,” Naftogaz said.
According to the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club in April 2025, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Mexico are generally characterized by a high level of neutrality, but with a positive bias.
The majority of respondents — 64.5% — expressed a neutral attitude toward this Latin American country. At the same time, 26% of respondents have a positive perception of Mexico (19.3% — mostly positive, 6.7% — completely positive), while only 4.3% have a negative opinion (3.9% — mostly negative, 0.4% — completely negative). Another 5.2% of respondents were undecided.
“These results demonstrate that the image of Mexico for most Ukrainians does not yet have a clearly formed emotional or political association. Neutrality dominates, but positive feelings outweigh negative ones,” explained Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
The survey once again confirms that both political support and cultural presence in the global arena play an important role in shaping a stronger international image.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the cost of housing construction in Ukraine has increased by 90-115% depending on the class of housing, and the trend continues, Vladimir Zhigman, construction director of the DIM group of companies, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Since the beginning of the year, the cost in the “comfort+” segment has increased by 17% to $850-1000/sq. m. The reasons for such a significant increase are not only the rise in the cost of building materials, but also a systemic shortage of personnel and a crisis in the supply of key items.
“Today, only 40-50% of pre-war workers are employed in construction. Some have left, some are in the Armed Forces. There is a shortage of qualified welders, crane operators, high-altitude workers, special equipment operators, and even ordinary laborers,” Zhigman explained.
According to him, to overcome the labor shortage, companies are raising wages, attracting contractors from other regions, and in some cases from abroad.
As for building materials, the estimated average price increase from the start of the full-scale war (February 2022) to May 2025 is between 40% and 60%. For example, concrete has actually doubled in price due to higher fuel costs, logistical difficulties, and a 30-40% reduction in production capacity compared to pre-war levels. The cost of drywall has increased by 35-45%, influenced by higher raw material prices, particularly gypsum, and rising energy costs.
The cost of plaster has also increased by 30-40% in approximately the same range. This is due to higher prices for cement and fillers, as well as increased energy costs. Tiles have also jumped in price by 50-60%, mainly due to import dependence, higher logistics and energy costs. At the same time, according to DIM analytics, the share of imported building materials in an average project has actually doubled: from 12-14% in 2021 to 23% in 2023 and almost reached 25% in 2024.
“Most elevators on the market are imported, as are ventilation systems and electrical equipment. Add to this logistics, exchange rates, and risks, and we have the answer to the question of upward dynamics,” Zhigman noted.
In 2024-2025, developers will increasingly rely on optimizing technical solutions, smart design, and transparent communication with buyers. In an industry where production costs are already close to market prices, this is becoming a matter not only of profitability but also of survival, the expert explained.
“Rising costs have become the new norm. The question is no longer whether prices will rise, but how to remain competitive without compromising on quality and pace,” commented Arseniy Nasirovsky, junior partner at DIM Group, whose words are quoted in the report.
According to him, in 2025 and beyond, the key competitive advantages for developers will be flexibility in design, forecasting of logistical risks, and systematic work with contractors. “The market is entering a phase where it is not the biggest but the most efficient that will win,” Nasykovsky believes.
The portfolio of the development company DIM consists of real estate in Kyiv and the region with a total area of over 900,000 square meters. 3,670 apartments have been commissioned, and over 356,000 square meters of residential and commercial space has been built. Six projects with a total area of over 346,000 square meters are under construction.
