Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

State Property Fund of Ukraine puts Odessa Port Plant up for sale

The State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine has announced the sale of 99.5667% of Odessa Port Plant JSC (OPP, Pivdenne, Odessa region) at an online auction in the Prozorro. Sales” system on November 25, 2025, with a starting price of UAH 4 billion 488.523 million.

According to a statement on the Fund’s website on Thursday, bids for participation in the auction will be accepted until 8:00 p.m. on November 24, with a guarantee deposit of UAH 224.43 million.

It is noted that the property includes 45 units of real estate and infrastructure, including a greenhouse and vegetable processing plant, a medical and health center, the Karpatski Zori resort in Yaremche, and a training and educational rowing center. The total area of the real estate is 285,400 square meters, and the total area of the 32 registered land plots is 262.9 hectares, of which 252.4 hectares are on a permanent use basis.

As of June 30, 2025, the company employs 1,436 people.

According to the report, OPZ’s revenue for January-June this year amounted to UAH 322.63 million, while its net loss was UAH 280.79 million. In 2024, the plant increased its revenue to UAH 944.22 million from UAH 494.57 million a year earlier, but its net loss grew to UAH 1 billion 839.3 million from UAH 1 billion 94.58 million.

As of the middle of this year, OPZ’s wage arrears amounted to UAH 184.39 million, its budget arrears amounted to UAH 182.44 million, and its overdue accounts payable amounted to UAH 16.62 billion.

The winner of the auction is obliged to maintain the main types of activity for five years and invest at least UAH 500 million, as well as pay off wage and budget debts within a year, gradually pay off overdue debts, and provide guarantees to employees and in terms of compliance with environmental legislation.

Acting Chairman of the Board and Director of OPZ Yuriy Kovalsky said in an interview with NV Business in August this year that in August 2024, the plant’s management tried to start up one of the two ammonia units, but this step was not successful. Since then, OPZ has been rebuilt for grain transshipment, and this activity was the only source of income for the enterprise, but at the end of June, as a result of a Russian air attack, the warehouse facilities were significantly damaged, which suspended transshipment operations. According to Kovalsky, OPZ’s partner in grain transshipment is the trader V AGRO LLC. In the 2024-2025 marketing year, about 638,000 tons of grain were transshipped: 625,000 tons of corn and 12,700 tons of soybeans.

The acting chairman of the board also reported that OPZ has significantly optimized its expenses, sold non-core assets, and is actively working with creditors, in particular, with Naftogaz of Ukraine, to offer a future investor a viable debt structure, which amounts to about UAH 2.5 billion.

Kovalsky noted that for safety reasons, OPZ does not plan to resume production in the near future, but is maintaining its production lines in full technical readiness so that it can resume work as soon as possible, as soon as it becomes possible.

The state has tried to privatize the enterprise several times, but without success.

 

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Slovakia and some other neighbors of Ukraine demanding EU fund to protect farmers from pressure from Ukrainian agricultural products

Slovakia and a number of EU countries bordering Ukraine are advocating the creation of a special fund to compensate their farmers for losses caused by the growth in imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. This was announced by Slovak Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) following a meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture in Brussels, according to the TASR news agency.

According to him, the European Commission had previously talked about a 25% increase in quotas for Ukrainian goods, but in reality the figures are much higher — “for honey and sugar, the increase is 400-500%.”

“One problem is quantity, another is product quality and safety. European farmers are required to comply with strict rules on fertilizers, pesticides, and EU standards, while in Ukraine such standards are often absent,” Takáč emphasized.

The minister noted that it was Ukraine’s neighboring countries, which experience the main influx of products, that approached the European Commission with this initiative, while Western European countries often benefit from cheaper imports and do not feel the pressure.

Takach suggested that Slovakia would not be able to “achieve 100% success” in the negotiations, but he is counting on a compromise solution.

“In the new EU financial plan and within the framework of the common agricultural policy, I see an opportunity to create a fund specifically for countries bordering Ukraine. This fund should compensate our farmers and processors for their losses,” he said, adding that Slovakia will seek support through the government and the prime minister.

According to him, agreements on this have already been reached with his Polish counterpart. The issue of increased quotas for Ukrainian agricultural products will also be discussed during the upcoming joint meeting of the governments of Ukraine and Slovakia.

Since 2022, the EU has provided Ukraine with unprecedented access to the common market to support the economy in wartime. However, a number of Eastern European countries — Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria — have repeatedly complained about the growing pressure on their producers of grain, sugar, and other crops.

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Ukraine as seen by EBRD: growth amid war and dependence on foreign support

Ukraine’s economy may grow by about 4% in 2025, but the outlook remains fragile and depends entirely on external factors. This is stated in the latest report of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Regional Economic Prospects: Under Pressure.

According to the document, the main source of support for the Ukrainian economy is international financial aid, which is used to cover budget expenditures, social payments and defense. An additional driver of growth is the export of agricultural products through the EU “solidarity corridors” and alternative routes along the Danube and overland, which partially compensates for restrictions on maritime transportation.

There has also been a gradual recovery of infrastructure, including roads, bridges and the power grid, which is supporting economic activity.

However, the EBRD warns of high risks. Among them are a protracted war, high levels of public debt and inflation, as well as the vulnerability of export flows, which could be sharply reduced if sea routes are blocked.

According to the bank’s experts, digitalization of public services, agro-technology and development of renewable energy remain promising areas for Ukraine. However, this requires sustainable peace or conflict freezing, deeper integration with the EU market, as well as progress in judicial and anti-corruption reforms.

At the end of 2024, Ukraine’s GDP was estimated at around $160 bln. More than 60% of exports were agro-products (grain, oilseeds and processed products). The metallurgy, IT and energy sectors also retain potential for recovery.

The EBRD emphasizes that the Ukrainian economy is “under pressure”, but with continued international support and access to external markets, it can grow rapidly, laying the foundations for post-war transformation.

 

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Sukha Balka has introduced new block with reserves of 124,000 tons of ore

The Sukha Balka mine (Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region), part of Alexander Yaroslavsky’s DCH group, has prepared two new blocks for iron ore extraction at the Yuvileina mine.

According to a report in the DCH Steel corporate newspaper on Thursday, block 34-40 of the Golovnyi deposit at a depth of 1,420 meters was commissioned in early September. It contains 124,700 tons of raw materials with an average iron content of 60.15%. These volumes will be sufficient for three months of operation.

“The block was commissioned on schedule, and the preparatory work was carried out efficiently in compliance with technological standards,” said Mykola Puntus, chief engineer of the Yuvileina mine.

The next production task for the Yubileinaya miners is to prepare production unit 65-69 from the Shurfa deposit at a depth of 1,340 meters with ore reserves of 34,000 tons. The average iron content in the deposit is 59.29%. Preparatory work was organized with the help of self-propelled equipment.

The new unit is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of September.

The Sukha Balka mine is one of the leading enterprises in the mining industry in Ukraine. It extracts iron ore using underground methods. The mine includes the Yubileinaya and Frunze mines.

The DCH Group acquired the mine from the Evraz Group in May 2017.

 

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Digitalization has become key driver of private medicine in Ukraine – Oxford Medical

Digitalization is becoming a key driver of private medicine development in Ukraine, with online appointment, electronic medical histories, telemedicine consultations and automatic reminders forming a “new culture of care”, Oxford Medical claims.

“Today’s patient wants to get a consultation quickly and conveniently. Online appointment in two clicks, test results in an app, personalized treatment plans – this is the standard without which private medicine no longer exists,” said Angelina Moroz, medical director of the Kiev branch.

The company also introduces personalized support: administrators and managers act as guides for patients, and doctors remain involved at all stages – from diagnosis to postoperative follow-up.

Oxford Medical – a network of clinics, founded in 2005, covers dozens of cities in Ukraine. Hundreds of specialists work in the staff. The company relies on digitalization, telemedicine and integration with the NHS, developing standards of quality service and focusing on the needs of patients.

 

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Adaptive methods: key to successful language learning

Your step-by-step plan

Individual trajectory. Flexibility. Practical training.

Adaptive learning makes English personal. It’s not about the rules in a textbook. It’s about your goals, your schedule and your results. This is how we work at Business Language.

What is adapted learning?

This is an approach where the program adapts to you. It starts with diagnostics. This is followed by a plan that takes into account the level, goals, and most common mistakes. Instead of a one-size-fits-all course, you get your own development trajectory. Each lesson has a practical goal.

Why it works for adults

You are busy. You have specific tasks. There is no time for unnecessary theory. Customized training focuses energy on real results. You need to prepare for an interview – we do a mock interview. If you have a presentation to make, we train your pitch in English. This saves time and increases motivation.

There are three key components of effective adaptation

1. Individual trajectory

The plan is built around your goals. Each stage is measured. There are no unnecessary repetitions. You develop exactly what brings results. This means faster progress and tangible changes in 1-3 months.

2. Flexible format

A combination of short online modules, individual lessons and conversational practice. Live sessions to practice real-life dialogues. You choose the rhythm. The program adapts to your working hours.

3. Practical training and feedback

Work through cases, role-playing games, simulations. It’s one thing to read the rules. It’s another to say difficult phrases in a negotiation scenario. Feedback from the teacher identifies weaknesses and gives specific exercises to correct them.

How it looks like in practice – a specific example

  1. Diagnostics (first meeting + English test). We determine the level and three work tasks.
  2. A plan for 3 months. Short homework assignments. Two individual lessons per week. Regular mini-checklists.
  3. Focus on the result. The first 6 weeks – vocabulary structures and templates needed for work. The next 6 weeks – simulations of interviews, negotiations or presentations.
  4. Evaluation. Key indicators: gain in vocabulary test, speed of presentation preparation, quality of speech in simulations.

Technology is an assistant, not a rock star

Platforms and artificial intelligence are useful for repetition, pronunciation analysis, and progress tracking. They make routines more efficient. But an algorithm without a teacher is just an app. The best results come from combining technology with a live teacher who knows the context of your work.

Short exercises that get results

3-minute “pitch rehearsals”. Say a short description of the project out loud every day.

Role-playing scenarios. Practice standard work dialogues once a week.

Micro vocabulary tasks. 5 new words in context every day. Return to them in 3 days.

Express Pronunciation. 10 minutes daily with recording and analysis of errors.

Corporate format: how to increase team productivity

Work cases are collected. Based on them, modules for negotiations, presentations and correspondence are created. The instructor personalizes the task for each participant. The team receives short homework exercises to consolidate. The result: faster implementation of communication standards and fewer errors in business correspondence.

Typical risks and how to avoid them

The illusion of “automatic progress”. Just installing the application is not enough. You need pedagogical support.

Wrong metrics. Measure practical results, not just the number of exercises completed.

Overload. Regular short exercises are better than rare long sessions.

Briefly about what changes in your life

You start speaking faster. You are less nervous at interviews. You prepare presentations more easily. English ceases to be an abstract skill. It becomes a tool that helps you achieve your goals.

Action plan in 4 steps

  1. Make a list of three work tasks that require English.
  2. Take a diagnostic test and get a personalized plan.
  3. Choose a program with micro-lessons + live sessions.
  4. Measure your progress every month and adjust your trajectory.

Adapted learning doesn’t promise miracles overnight. It gives you the tools. And it requires consistency. If you are ready to invest time, it will return it with a profit ????.

Prepared by ENGLISH.KH.UA

 

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