The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) has put up for privatization a state-owned stake in the Kolomyia Agricultural Machinery Plant at a starting price of UAH 12 million, the agency’s press service reported.
The SPF specified that 93.4% of the authorized capital of the Kolomyia Agricultural Machinery Plant joint-stock company will be put up for privatization.
The property includes 75 units of real estate — production, warehouse, and administrative buildings, infrastructure (roads, fences, electricity, gas, and water supply) with a total area of 81,776.8 square meters, as well as three land plots with an area of 55.3 hectares, eight vehicles and special equipment manufactured between 1986 and 1996. Part of the property has already been leased under seven agreements until July 29, 2026.
The terms of sale include the repayment of wage and budget debts within six months after the purchase, as well as a ban on employee layoffs.
The auction will take place on February 5 in the Prozorro.Prozori system. Applications will be accepted until February 4, 20:00.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and one of the European countries will provide Ukraine with EUR85 million for the purchase of additional gas volumes, First Deputy Prime Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal said.
“EUR 85 million through EBRD instruments for the purchase of additional gas volumes for Ukraine. Work on obtaining the relevant grant from one of the European countries is already being completed,” Shmyhal wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.
He noted that this was discussed during an online conversation with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.
“We are grateful to our partners for this! We will continue to work together to find additional sources of funding,” the head of the Ministry of Energy emphasized.
According to him, it is also extremely necessary to continue financial support from the EBRD to Ukrenergo and Ukrhydroenergo, as this helps to provide repairs, equipment, and implement new solutions so that people have light and heat.
Raw milk production in Ukraine decreased in 2025 amid falling purchase prices, increased production costs, shipping disruptions, as well as severe frosts and heating problems that led to a decline in cow productivity, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), citing data from the State Statistics Service.
The industry association noted that in December 2025, farms of all categories produced 478,000 tons of raw milk, which is 29,000 tons less (-6%) than in November of the same year and 75,000 tons less (-14%) than in December 2024.
At the same time, milk production in Ukraine in 2025 amounted to 6.86 million tons, which is 374 thousand tons less (-5%) than in the previous year. In December 2025, the share of enterprises in raw milk production was 57%, and that of private farms was 43%.
In December 2025, enterprises produced 271,000 tons of raw milk, which is 6,000 tons more (+2.1%) compared to November, but 12,000 tons less (-4%) compared to December 2024.
Last year, commercial dairy farms produced 3.18 million tons of raw milk, which is 210,000 tons more (+7%) than the previous year.
According to the ABM, milk production in private households in December 2025 amounted to 206 thousand tons, which is 35 thousand tons less (-14%) than in November and 64 thousand tons less (-24%) than in December 2024. In January-December 2025, households produced 3.67 million tons of raw milk, which is 583 thousand tons less (-14%) than the year before last.
“Raw milk production volumes are declining in Ukraine, primarily due to the household sector, which is ceasing to play an important role in the dairy industry. It is likely that if private farms do not consolidate by 2030, their milk will no longer be sent for processing and will be used for their own consumption. To remain in the industry, PFFs must unite into cooperatives and form commercial milk batches or independently increase their cow herds and develop craft production of dairy products,” emphasized AVM analyst Georgiy Kukhiashvili.
He noted that the industrial sector is compensating for the decline in the share of private farms and demonstrating stability in raw milk production. However, in December, milk production in the industrial sector declined compared to the same period last year amid a decline in purchase prices for raw milk under pressure from the collapse of world prices for commodities, including butter.
“Low raw milk prices do not correspond to its cost at dairy farms, which have increased production costs due to energy supply problems, which worsened in January 2026, and the need to spend more money on diesel generators. Due to long blackouts, there were interruptions in the shipment of raw milk from dairy farms to milk processing plants. The plants report that they cannot accept milk and send it for processing when the power is off. The severe frosts this winter, combined with heating problems, have led to a decline in cow productivity,” the AVM said.
The association suggested that, in the context of the crisis, dairy farms may revise their investment plans for 2026, as it is difficult to increase raw milk production during blackouts, and a significant recovery in demand for dairy products on the domestic market is unlikely in the short term.
“It is likely that in 2026, the reduction in raw milk production will occur not only in the household sector, but also in the industrial sector. Due to unprofitability, certain farms with less than 400 head of cattle are likely to close. In this case, raw milk production in Ukraine may decline to 6.0-6.2 million tons. However, those dairy farms that are able to maintain their cow numbers in 2026 and invest in sustainability should benefit in the coming years,” the UAM concluded.
The amount of value-added tax (VAT) declared by non-residents who provide electronic services to individuals in the customs territory of Ukraine and are registered as VAT payers reached 14.4 billion hryvnia in 2025, while in 2024, the budget received 29% less – 11.2 billion hryvnia.
The “Google tax” brought over 14.4 billion hryvnia to the budget in 2025. These are funds paid by non-residents who provide electronic services to individuals in the customs territory of Ukraine and are registered as VAT payers,” wrote Lesya Karnaukh, acting head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine (STS), on her Facebook page.
According to her, 150 non-residents already pay this tax: in 2025, 12 new non-residents registered as VAT payers, and at the beginning of 2026, another five companies did so.
The leaders in paying the “Google tax” remain the world’s leading digital companies: Apple, Google, Valve, Meta, Sony, Etsy, and Netflix.
“All the electronic services we use every day contribute to the state budget. These are funds for the protection of the country, social programs, and restoration,” Karnaukh noted.
The cost of bread produced by individual entrepreneurs has increased by approximately 25% since the blackout began, and poppy seed rolls by 40% due to the need to maintain generators, purchase fuel, and cover logistics costs, according to Nina Yuzhanina (European Solidarity), a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy.
She said that she occasionally buys bread outside the city — in small private bakeries that operate as individual entrepreneurs.
“When there is electricity, production is stable and prices are predictable. When there is no electricity, work is done exclusively on generators with constant fuel costs. The result is already noticeable: the cost of bread has increased by about 25%, and poppy seed rolls by almost 40%. The reasons are obvious: fuel, generator maintenance, and logistics disruptions. This is not a question of excess profits — it is an attempt to cover costs and survive,” she wrote on Telegram.
Yuzhanina stressed that with such an increase in prices for bakery products, it will be difficult to maintain sales volumes, as the additional costs will not disappear.
“There are more than 4,000 sole proprietors (groups 1-3) in Ukraine who are engaged in baking bread. And if, against this backdrop, mandatory VAT payments are introduced for them, it will not only be a blow to small businesses, but a real tax blackout — with the risk of production closures and further price increases,” the parliamentarian stressed.
As reported, the prospect of introducing mandatory VAT payments for sole proprietors in groups 1-3 is currently being considered as part of the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to EU standards and the National Revenue Strategy, which provides for the gradual abolition of the simplified system in its current form. The main risk lies in a significant increase in the administrative burden: entrepreneurs will have to keep accounting records, register tax invoices, and add +20% to the cost of their goods or services, which may make small businesses uncompetitive compared to large players. Although this decision is aimed at de-shadowing the economy and combating schemes for the use of sole proprietorships by large businesses, for the actual self-employed population, such a step could become a critical financial barrier.
The restaurant holding company !Fest will open the first establishment of the “P’yana Vyshnya” chain in Transcarpathia. The bar will operate in the historic center of Uzhhorod, on Korzo Street, according to the chain’s PR director, Taras Maselko, as reported by the online publication Zaxid.net.
According to the company representative, the opening of the establishment with its signature Lviv cherry brandy is scheduled for January 30.
Mukachevo is being considered as the next city in the region where “P’yana Vyshnya” may appear.
The first P’yana Vyshnya establishment opened in Lviv on Rynok Square in 2015. Currently, the chain has more than 60 establishments in Ukraine and abroad, including in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Moldova.
The Fest holding company was founded in 2007. It develops a network of creative restaurants, cafes, and shops in Ukraine. Its owners are Andriy Khudo, Yuriy Nazaruk, and Dmytro Gerasimov.
