Ukraine increased tomato imports by 32.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, to 104,820 tons, according to the State Customs Service.
According to statistics, in monetary terms, tomato imports increased by 31.6% to $140.84 million.
The main imports of tomatoes in 2025 came from Turkey (82.3% of all supplies in monetary terms), Poland (7.3%), and the Netherlands (1.9%). A year earlier, Turkey accounted for 77.3%, Poland for 10.9%, and the Netherlands for 4.3%.
As reported, in July 2025, Ukraine introduced anti-dumping duties on imports of fresh tomatoes from Turkey at a rate of 26.9% for a period of five years.
Oleksiy Shevchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian National Bar Association, said that he and his family had received threats and asked the Ukrainian president, the leadership of the Office of the President, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the National Police to provide protection and investigate the incident.
Speaking at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Shevchuk said that, according to him, over the past few days, he and his family had been subjected to pressure and a wave of public discrediting, and subsequently received direct threats to their lives and health. He linked this to the decision to appoint him as a member of the commission for the selection of prosecutors for the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
According to Shevchuk, the threats came after reports of his appointment to the commission, and he considers them to be real. He noted that he had taken security measures and, in his words, temporarily secured his family.
“Over the past few days, my family and I have been subjected to significant hate from marginal elements of our society. But the last straw was that my family and I received direct threats to our lives and health. Yesterday evening, in connection with my appointment as a member of the commission for the selection of prosecutors for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, my family and I received messages that we were to be physically destroyed,” Shevchuk said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
He stressed that he has the status of a special subject under criminal law and appealed to the state leadership and law enforcement agencies to ensure his safety.
Shevchuk also said there might be attempts to fake public statements on social media and mess with electronic voting, which he said could be meant to discredit him as a candidate. He said he’s getting ready to talk to the National Police about the threats and possible fake statements and petitions in electronic systems.
Separately, Shevchuk made a number of statements regarding the involvement of certain public figures in information pressure, naming specific individuals.
No official comments from law enforcement agencies regarding the circumstances outlined in the appeal have been released at this time.
Shevchuk stressed that he expects criminal proceedings to be opened on the basis of the threats and called on state authorities to “prevent” attacks on him and his family. He also emphasized that, according to him, he is the only representative of the bar in the relevant commission and links the wave of pressure to his participation in the work of the judiciary.
A video of Oleksiy Shevchuk’s statement is available at the following link:
Source: Interfax-Ukraine.
During the Fastiv Forum on Unity and Security Solutions, the initiative to create a socio-cultural complex called “Platform of Unity” was discussed. This would be a space for continuous work on uniting Ukrainian society.
One of the key elements of the initiative is the reconstruction of the Fastiv railway station complex and rethinking its role as a space for communication, historical memory, and modern dialogue.
The forum participants emphasized that in wartime, any management, infrastructure, and social decisions must be made with security in mind—whether the decision enhances security or creates additional risks.
The event featured five panel discussions with the participation of representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, state authorities, local self-government, the scientific community, public organizations, international partners, and experts in the fields of security, culture, and restoration.
The discussions culminated in the signing of a Declaration of Unity—a joint position of the forum participants, representatives of government bodies, and diplomatic missions on the need to consolidate efforts to rebuild the Fastiv railway station and create the Platform of Unity socio-cultural complex.
Among the initiators and participants of the forum were People’s Deputy Oleg Dunda, Deputy Minister of Social Policy Ilona Gavronska, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, V. M. Korets Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, National Institute for Strategic Studies, World Congress of Ukrainians, Association of Ukrainian Lawyers, diplomatic missions, and experts in the fields of security, culture, and reconstruction. Korets Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, the National Institute for Strategic Studies, the World Congress of Ukrainians, the Ukrainian Bar Association, diplomatic missions of Lithuania, as well as the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Chuhuiv and Berdiansk City Councils, and other partners.
The forum participants thanked the residents of Fastiv for their support and the Armed Forces of Ukraine for ensuring the stability of the state and countering Russian aggression.
Interfax-Ukraine was the information partner of the event.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/press-release/1140144.html
Zaporizhogneupor, Ukraine’s largest refractory manufacturer and a member of the Metinvest Group, produced over 95,000 tons of refractory products in 2025, compared to 96,000 tons in 2024.
According to the company, the plant has confirmed its status as a key domestic manufacturer of refractories and a reliable partner of Ukraine’s mining and metallurgical industry.
It is noted that the company’s products are used in the metallurgical, coke-chemical, energy, and food industries. Key products include aluminosilicate and magnesia products for various thermal units, refractory linings for open-hearth furnaces and converters, steel ladles, etc.
The main consumers in 2025 remained Metinvest’s metallurgical enterprises: Zaporizhstal shipped over 34,000 tons, and Kametstal shipped almost 5,000 tons.
In addition to the domestic market, Zaporizhogneupor continued to export to European countries in 2025, in particular to Moldova, Bulgaria, Estonia, North Macedonia, and Latvia, which helps bring foreign currency into the country’s economy.
“Our task for 2026 is to maintain sales markets and improve service quality so that this industry, which is critically important for the country, can operate steadily. After all, a strong industry means taxes, jobs, and resources for the further recovery of Ukraine,” said Artur Ivanchenko, CEO of Zaporizhzhya Refractories.
He added that in 2025, Zaporizhogneupor worked systematically to maintain equipment and implemented projects to reduce defects, which ensured stable product quality and the fulfillment of contractual obligations to customers.
Zaporizhzhya Refractories’ service centers in Zaporizhzhya, Kryvyi Rih, and Kamyanske continued their work, performing routine repairs of coke batteries at Zaporizhzhya Coke and Kametstal, refractory lining of steel-making units at Zaporizhzhya Steel and Kametstal, repairing roasting machines at mining and processing plants in the Dnipropetrovsk region, etc.
The refractory industry is a strategically important link in metallurgical production: without refractory materials, blast furnaces, steelmaking and heating units, coke ovens, and power equipment cannot operate. During the war, the industry suffered significant losses due to the destruction of production facilities, logistical constraints, and a drop in domestic demand. Against this backdrop, the preservation and stable operation of Metinvest Group’s enterprises in Zaporizhia is critical to maintaining the country’s industrial potential.
Zaporizhogneupor is Ukraine’s largest manufacturer of high-quality refractory products and materials. It manufactures chamotte, mullite-silica, mullite, mullite-corundum, periclase, periclase-chromite products, silicon carbide electric heaters, and unshaped refractory materials. The company’s products are widely used in Ukraine, as well as in the CIS countries, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
According to the NDU for the third quarter of 2024, Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owned 50.7899% of the shares of Zaporizhogneupor, and Zaporizhstal owned 49.2101%.
The authorized capital of the private joint-stock company is UAH 75.925 million.
US President Donald Trump announced his intention to raise tariffs on a number of goods from South Korea from 15% to 25%, linking this decision to the fact that, according to him, the country’s parliament had failed to fulfill its obligations under a previously agreed trade agreement. According to Reuters, Trump wrote on social media that the increased rates would apply to South Korean cars, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and other goods subject to “reciprocal tariffs.” However, the report did not specify when the increase would take effect.
The South Korean authorities were taken by surprise by the announcement and declared their commitment to implementing the agreements; emergency consultations were held in Seoul, and relevant officials are preparing to contact the American side.
Against the backdrop of the news, South Korea’s KOSPI index fell during trading, then reversed and closed higher, while the won weakened. Hyundai Motor and Kia shares ended the session lower after a more noticeable decline during the day.
We remind you that under the agreement reached in 2025, the tariff on imports of Korean cars and auto components to the US was previously reduced to 15% from 25% and came into effect on November 1
IMPORTS, SOUTH KOREA, TARIFFS, TRUMP, US
In the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, near the Osokorky metro station, a building was on fire on the morning of January 28. The fire was extinguished in about half an hour. The circumstances of the incident are still unknown.
