Zaporozhkoks, one of Ukraine’s largest coke and chemical producers and part of Metinvest Group, reduced blast furnace coke production by 2.1% year-on-year to 71.32 thousand tons from 72.86 thousand tons in January this year.
According to the company, 71.9 thousand tons of coke were produced in December 2023.
As reported, Zaporozhkoks increased its blast furnace coke output by 16% in 2023 compared to 2022, up to 856.8 thousand tons from 737.4 thousand tons.
“Zaporozhkoks produces about 10% of coke in Ukraine and has a full technological cycle of coke products processing. It also produces coke oven gas and pitch coke.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group has started manufacturing targets for military training at its Kryvyi Rih plants as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative.
According to the company’s press release, Ukrainian defenders must maintain a high level of professional knowledge and skills to effectively fight the enemy at the front. In particular, in the use of small arms. To enable the military to systematically practice and improve their skills, Metinvest’s enterprises in Kryvyi Rih have started producing targets.
At the same time, Metinvest’s Kryvyi Rih facilities have manufactured and delivered approximately 30 target models at the request of the military. All of them have previously been successfully tested at training grounds.
The specialists have now mastered the production of three types of targets: Gong, Popper and Tree. They consist of sturdy frames on which the target is hung. Target equipment parts can be replaced as needed by installing new components on the frames.
As part of the Steel Front military initiative, Metinvest is implementing a number of initiatives aimed at improving the military training of the Ukrainian army. The company has become a partner in the construction of a mine action center in Chernihiv Oblast, which will provide training for more than 3,000 sappers. In addition, Metinvest is developing tactical medicine in Ukraine in cooperation with the PULSE charity foundation. Over UAH 13 million has been allocated to organize training for military personnel in the combat zone.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. The Group’s enterprises are located mainly in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it. Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Changes in consolidated budget expenditures in 2021-2023 (%)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
In January 2024, Ukraine exported 7.7 million tons of agricultural products, which is only 0.3% lower than the same indicator of the previous month. At the same time, not all the products managed to cross the border and some of the vehicles are queuing to leave, according to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB).
According to the UCAB, in January 2024, the structure of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products was dominated by grain crops, which were supplied to foreign markets in the amount of 5.3 million tons, which is 1% less than a month earlier. Corn accounted for 63% of supplies, wheat – 30%, barley – 6%.
Ukraine also exported 765 thsd tonnes of oilseeds, which is 1% less than in December. At the same time, supplies of rapeseed accounted for 52% of oilseed exports, soybeans – 40%, and sunflower seeds – 7%.
Vegetable oils were supplied to foreign markets in the amount of 664.5 thsd tonnes, which is 6% less than a month earlier. Sunflower oil accounted for 92% of exports, soybean oil – 5%, and rapeseed oil – 3%.)
In January 2024, Ukraine increased the export of oilcake by 20% to 591.1 thsd tonnes, of which 92% was sunflower cake and 8% was soybean cake.
In January, exports of other types of agro-industrial products decreased by 2% compared to December, with 391.6 thsd tonnes of them being supplied to foreign markets. UCAB analysts attributed the main trends in January exports to the increase in rapeseed exports compared to other oilseeds.
Usually, we managed to export the entire volume intended for this purpose before the New Year. This year, Ukraine still has a lot of exported products,” the experts explained.
The increase in exports of sunflower cake was explained by analysts by establishing exports to China through the existing sea corridor.
The export dynamics makes it possible to gradually reduce the balances of agricultural products intended for export and provide farmers with financial resources for further activities. It is very important to maintain these volumes, or even increase them. After all, not only the food security of Ukraine, but also of many countries of the world depends on the functioning of the Ukrainian agricultural sector,” UCAB summarized.
Ukrainian developers have concluded the first housing purchase and sale agreements using housing certificates issued as compensation for destroyed housing under the eRestoration program.
Today, housing certificates are used to purchase apartments in completed projects, Anna Laevska, commercial director of Intergal-Bud, told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Buyers are mostly focused on affordable housing in the economy and comfort segments. As of now, ready-made apartments in buildings that have already received a certificate of commissioning are available for participation in the program in the capital region. However, we plan to expand the offer with facilities under construction. We are talking about projects in Lviv,” she said.
According to Laevska, the first transaction under the program concerned a two-room apartment with turnkey renovation in the Syretsky Gardens residential complex.
According to the developers interviewed by Interfax-Ukraine, buyers with certificates are offered installment purchases and loans, the possibility of using the certificate as a down payment, and in some cases, individual offers and discounts.
Developer Alliance Novobud has also concluded the first deal under the eRestoration program: a family from Kyiv region purchased a three-bedroom apartment in a finished building in the Madison Gardens residential complex in Brovary using a housing certificate.
“There are requests, certificate holders are interested in different formats and classes of housing. With the eRestoration certificate, you can purchase any residential property in all Alliance Novobud projects. We have individual offers for each individual request. For example, a discount, installment plan, or lending for the remaining amount by partner banks on special terms,” said Iryna Mikhalova, CMO of Alliance Novobud.
According to the press service of Kovalska Real Estate, when buying a home using a certificate in the developer’s projects, all available promotions and discounts are available to customers, including a loyalty program for military personnel and rescuers. There is also an option to purchase by installments at 0% for up to 3.5 years for an amount exceeding the value of the certificate.
According to the company, customers are interested in purchasing two- and three-bedroom apartments in ready-made buildings. At the same time, in January, apartments were already reserved for two certificates.
The developer also expects to expand its offer with the help of newly constructed facilities.
“At present, the certificate can be used to purchase an apartment in three commissioned houses by Kovalska. We are actively working, and soon it will be possible to apply the certificate to the objects under construction,” the company explained.
The DIM Group also offers to use installment purchase programs from the developer for up to five years if the amount of the certificate does not exceed the cost of the selected apartment. The program covers both already built residential complexes in Kyiv and the region and buildings at the final stage of construction.
“We are already working with the first applications from certificate holders who have chosen an apartment in our residential complexes and applied for a deposit. In the near future, we are waiting for the approval of applications and the receipt of funds,” said Daria Bedia, Marketing Director of DIM.
In general, the surveyed developers assess the housing certificate program with cautious optimism, noting its social importance.
“This is a very important government initiative aimed at helping Ukrainians who lost their homes during the full-scale invasion. It is difficult to overestimate the social component of eRestoration. However, it is difficult to predict whether the certificates will have a significant impact on the primary real estate market,” said Ms. Laevska.
According to the expert, the certificate program can be developed following the example of the eOselya affordable mortgage program, where the share of transactions in the primary market is no more than 2%.
At the same time, with competent support and uninterrupted financing, the compensation program can become a powerful market driver, according to Alliance Novobud.
“Government programs such as eHouse and eRestoration can have a significant impact on the demand and purchasing power of Ukrainians. For example, under the eHouse program, some projects account for up to 40% of sales of the total volume. The new construction market has high expectations for eRestoration,” summarized Mikhaleva.
As of January 31, 462 certificates for UAH 1.1 billion have been sold under the eRestoration compensation program, and another 311 have been booked. The total number of applications for compensation is 9.3 thousand, and 2.6 thousand certificates have been issued.
As reported, on May 10, 2023, Ukraine launched the eRestoration program, under which owners of damaged housing began receiving compensation of up to UAH 200,000 for repairs.
On August 1, 2023, Diia started accepting applications for compensation for housing destroyed by the war. Compensation will be paid to individual owners of housing that was destroyed due to hostilities after February 24, 2022, is not subject to restoration and is located in the unoccupied territory and not in the area of active hostilities. On December 27, 2023, the issuance of housing certificates in Diia began.
In May 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated UAH 4 billion 433 million 350.0 thousand for compensation under the eRestoration program, in November – another UAH 1.5 billion for compensation for damaged property and UAH 2.5 billion for certificates for destroyed property.
American Tesla recalls up to 2.2 million electric cars, including the Cybertruck pickup trucks released this year, due to incorrect font size of warning messages on the dashboard, according to a report on the website of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The font of the messages is too small, which can make it difficult to read critical information and thus increase the likelihood of an accident, the document said.
The recall is being conducted through a free remote software update and affects some of the 2012-2023 Model S, Model X (2016-2024), Model 3 (2017-2023), Model Y (2019-2024) and Cybertruck (2024) vehicles.
Tesla delivered 1.8 million electric vehicles worldwide in 2023.
Shares of the automaker are down 0.8% in pre-market trading on Friday.
