The passage of trucks with cargo through the checkpoints on the Polish border “Medika” (in Ukraine, the checkpoint “Shegini”), “Khrebenne” (in Ukraine, “Rava-Ruska”) has been suspended, and at the ‘Korchova’ checkpoint (in Ukraine, “Krakovets”), it has been slowed down, the State Border Service reported on its Telegram channel on Sunday.
“According to information from the Polish side, the database used to process freight vehicles leaving Ukraine (entering the Republic of Poland) has been temporarily suspended at the Medyka and Hrebenne border crossing points. At the Korczowa checkpoint, the Polish customs service database is operating at a slower pace,” the border guards said in a statement.
Empty freight vehicles are being processed as usual. Other types of transport are undergoing border and customs procedures without any changes.
“According to preliminary information, the Polish customs database is expected to resume full operation by 10 p.m. (Ukrainian time) on January 18, 2026,” the State Border Service said in a statement.
In 2025, Ukrainian mining companies reduced exports of iron ore raw materials (IORM) in physical terms by 8% compared to the previous year, from 33 million 699,722 thousand tons to 30 million 995,363 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Friday, foreign currency proceeds from iron ore exports decreased by 16.6% during this period, from $2 billion 803.223 million to $2 billion 337.765 million.
Exports of mineral resources were mainly to China (44.98% of shipments in monetary terms), Slovakia (17.15%), and Poland (16.09%).
In addition, in 2025, Ukraine imported $95,000 worth of raw materials, amounting to 130 tons, from the Netherlands (46.32%), Italy (36.84%), and Norway (13.68%), while in the previous year it imported 2,042 tons worth $414,000.
As reported, in 2024, Ukraine increased its exports of raw materials by 89.8% compared to 2023, to 33 million 699.722 thousand tons, and foreign exchange earnings grew by 58.7%, to $2 billion 803.223 million UAH.
In 2024, Ukraine imported mineral resources worth $414,000 in a total volume of 2,042 tons, while in 2023, 250 tons of these raw materials were imported worth $135,000. In 2023, exports of raw materials decreased by 26% in real terms compared to 2022, to 17 million 753,165 tons. Foreign exchange earnings amounted to $1 billion 766,906 million (a decrease of 39.3%). Raw materials worth $135,000 were imported, totaling 250 tons.
According to Serbian Economist, two notable premieres are expected in Serbian cinemas in January: the family teen film “The Second Diary of Paulina P.” by Croatian director Neven Hitrec and the historical drama “Two Prosecutors” by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa.
The sequel to The Diary of Paulina P. will be released in Serbian cinemas on January 22. In the plot, the main character Paulina is now 11 years old and faces new challenges at school and at home.
Loznitsa’s film “Two Prosecutors” reportedly hit Serbian screens in early January. The film is based on the novella of the same name by Georgy Demidov and tells a story set in the USSR in 1937 against the backdrop of the Stalin era.
Two Prosecutors had its world premiere in Cannes and was awarded the Golden Tower as the best film in the main competition program of the 32nd European Film Festival in Palić.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2114
The International Atomic Energy Agency has secured agreement from Ukraine and Russia on a local ceasefire to repair the backup power line to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has confirmed.
“Technicians from Ukraine’s power grid operator are expected to begin repair work on the 330 kV line, which was damaged and shut down as a result of military operations on January 2, in the coming days. The shutdown left Europe’s largest nuclear power plant dependent on a single functioning 750 kV transmission line,” the statement said.
As noted, the IAEA team left Vienna for the front line to observe the repair work.
“The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have agreed on, demonstrates the indispensable role we continue to play,” Grossi said.
In 2025, the Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works continued to implement its “Work Amenities” program, allocating a total of over UAH 13 million to renovate employee amenities.
According to the plant’s press release, in 2025, the company carried out major repairs of sanitary and amenity facilities in the open-hearth shop, the control and measuring instruments and automation shop, the motor transport department, and the central electrical engineering laboratory, and repairs of the sanitary and amenity facilities of the water supply shop are ongoing.
The total area of the renovated premises will be 530 m².
In particular, the plant recently commissioned a renovated sanitary and utility room in the open-hearth shop with an area of over 280 m². The facility underwent a major overhaul with a complete replacement of engineering networks, window and door blocks, and sanitary equipment, as well as a set of finishing works.
It is noted that the implementation of the “Working Conditions” program will continue in 2026. The program plans to further renovate the sanitary and amenity facilities of the open-hearth shop and the water supply shop, install water heaters, and equip a modern laundry complex.
Metinvest Group’s corporate program “Working Conditions,” which involves the modernization of utility rooms in production units, has been in effect at Zaporizhstal since 2012. During this time, more than 240 utility rooms have been renovated at the plant, with total investments exceeding UAH 260 million.
Zaporizhstal is one of Ukraine’s largest industrial enterprises, whose products are in high demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
Zaporizhstal is a joint venture of the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Steel Limited (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
Bioenergy projects are already operating at seven of Ukraine’s 27 sugar factories that were in operation during the 2025 season, according to Yana Kavushevska, head of the board of the National Association of Sugar Producers “Ukrtsukor,” in an interview with the agency “Interfax-Ukraine.”
“For obvious reasons, not all companies want to focus on this (bioenergy projects – IF-U) today. I can only note that out of 27 operating sugar factories, seven have implemented the production of bioethanol, biogas, or biomethane, and the industry has good potential in this area,” she said.
Kavushevska noted that Ukraine’s sugar industry has good examples of bioenergy projects. They were implemented mainly before 2022, and during the war they were refined and improved. For example, some enterprises switched from biogas to biomethane production.
As reported, biofuel production at sugar factories in Ukraine is a strategic direction, as it allows by-products (molasses and pulp) to be converted into energy. As of 2025–2026, the industry is actively transitioning from the production of simple biogas (for electricity) to biomethane (for export to the EU) and bioethanol.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the most powerful bioenergy project in the sugar industry, with a capacity of 56 million cubic meters per year, has been implemented at the Teofipol sugar factory (Khmelnytskyi region). It is already connected directly to the gas transmission system (GTS).
The Globyne bioenergy complex of the Astarta agricultural holding (Poltava region), with a capacity of 50 million cubic meters per year, processes sugar beet pulp and uses biofuel to meet the needs of sugar and soybean processing plants.
The Gnidavsky Sugar Plant (Volyn region) produces biogas from pulp to meet its own energy needs and sells it. The plant’s capacity is 6 MW.
The Kapitanivsky Sugar Plant (Kirovograd region) has built a 6 MW biogas complex and has plans to switch to biomethane. The Sezhansky Sugar Plant (Cherkasy region) runs on pulp and molasses and produces biogas to generate 7.5 MW of electricity.
Bioethanol in Ukraine is mainly produced from molasses (syrup), which is a waste product of sugar production at the Gnidavsky Sugar Plant (15–20 thousand tons per year) and the Uzynsky Sugar Plant (10–15 thousand tons per year). In addition, the Haisyn Sugar Plant (Ukrprominvest-Agro) cooperates with the Haisyn Distillery to process its own molasses into bioethanol, while the Trostyanets and Zarubinsky distilleries are key hubs for processing raw materials from sugar plants in neighboring regions.
The industry also includes the Yuzhefo-Mykolaiv Biogas Complex (Vinnytsia region), which cooperates with the Yuzhefo-Mykolaiv Sugar Factory and produces over 11 million cubic meters of biomethane per year from sugar pulp and chicken manure. This is one of the first enterprises in Ukraine to establish the production and export of bio-LNG (liquefied biomethane).
The Zhdanivsky Sugar Factory of the Astarta agricultural holding (Vinnytsia region) provides the raw material base for energy generation. In total, Astarta produces over 50–60 million cubic meters of biogas per year.
