Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company, plans to launch the first phase of its plant for the production of pharmaceutical products and immunobiological preparations—which will provide a full cycle of blood plasma processing—in Uzhhorod in September. According to the Government Portal, the company has already invested EUR 67 million in construction. The total cost of the first phase is EUR 75 million.
Currently, the main building and the raw materials warehouse have been completed, and the equipment has been installed.
As previously reported, Biopharma had planned to launch the first phase of production in the first half of 2026.
According to the plan, the volume of blood plasma-derived drug production in Uzhhorod will be twice that of production in Bila Tserkva (Kyiv Oblast) and will reach up to 1.5 million liters per year.
Construction of the “Biopharma Plasma” plant in Uzhhorod began in the fall of 2024. The planned investment in the new facility is approximately EUR 80 million. The company’s Uzhhorod plant will focus on exports.
Biopharma exports its products to dozens of countries and plans to expand its presence in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, further increasing its capabilities.
The results of a public opinion poll conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center indicate that, for most Ukrainians, Vietnam remains a country with an undefined or neutral image. The largest share of respondents—66.9%—expressed a neutral attitude, which significantly distinguishes Vietnam from countries with a clearly formed positive or negative perception.
At the same time, the share of positive assessments has increased—to 19.3% compared to 15.7% in August 2025. Of these, 6.1% of respondents indicated a completely positive attitude, while another 13.3% described it as mostly positive. This indicates the gradual formation of a more defined positive image of the country, although this process is proceeding slowly.
Negative attitudes also increased slightly—from 9.0% to 10.5%. Specifically, 7.2% of respondents chose “mostly negative,” and 3.3% chose “completely negative.” The share of those who could not decide on an answer is 3.3%. Overall, these figures demonstrate a slight increase in the polarization of assessments while maintaining a high proportion of neutrality.
The dynamics of change indicate a gradual decrease in uncertainty: some respondents who previously had no formed opinion are beginning to lean toward either a positive or a negative assessment. At the same time, the absence of sharp changes in the structure of responses indicates that Vietnam does not yet occupy a prominent place in the focus of public opinion in Ukraine.
“When we see such a high level of neutral responses, it means that the country is effectively outside the active informational and social sphere. Ukrainians simply do not have enough contacts, experience, or cues to form a clear attitude. That is why any systematic presence—economic, cultural, or diplomatic—could quite quickly shift the balance of assessments in one direction or another,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, Vietnam is currently characterized as a country with high potential for building a positive image in Ukraine; however, this potential largely depends on the intensity of interaction and the level of presence in the Ukrainian information space.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Vietnam ranks 23rd in total trade volume with Ukraine, with a figure of $1.16 billion. At the same time, imports of Vietnamese goods exceed exports from Ukraine by several times, resulting in a trade deficit of over $706 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN, VIETNAM
According to Fixygen, JSC “Khmelnytskoblenergo” intends to hold a remote annual general meeting of shareholders on April 29, 2026, via a poll. The list of shareholders entitled to participate in the meeting will be compiled as of 11:00 PM on April 24. The ballot for voting on the main agenda items must be posted by 11:00 a.m. on April 17, and for cumulative voting by 11:00 a.m. on April 24; voting will conclude at 6:00 p.m. on April 29.
According to the initially published announcement, the agenda included the review of the audit reports on the 2025 financial statements, the approval of the results of financial and operational activities for 2025, the distribution of profits, the decision on dividend payments, as well as the approval of reports on the remuneration of the supervisory board and the management. The draft resolutions proposed allocating 100% of the net profit for 2025 to dividend payments and approving the total amount of annual dividends at UAH 18.62 million.
The agenda was later expanded at the suggestion of the shareholder JSC “Ukrainian Distribution Networks,” which holds 70.0089% of the company’s voting shares. It additionally included items regarding amendments to the charter in a new version, the repeal of the provisions on the supervisory board, termination of the powers of the current members of the supervisory board, election of new members, approval of the terms of civil law contracts with its members, as well as amendments to the Unified State Register (USR) to exclude information regarding the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine as the body managing the state’s corporate rights, since, as stated in the draft resolution, the state does not own any shares in the company.
JSC “Khmelnytskoblenergo” is registered in Khmelnytskyi, and its primary activity is electricity distribution. According to Opendatabot, the company’s revenue in 2025 amounted to UAH 4.974 billion, net profit to UAH 979.984 million, assets at year-end to UAH 7.463 billion, and authorized capital to UAH 33.64 million; Sviatoslav Kozlenko is listed as the CEO. According to SMIDA data as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, the company’s largest shareholder is JSC “Ukrainian Distribution Networks” with a 70.0089% stake, another 11.4657% is owned by PrJSC “Rivneoblenergo,” and 6.7457% by DTEK Grids B.V.
Northern Mining and Processing Plant (Northern GZK, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), part of the Metinvest Group, plans to increase production of DR pellets for the manufacture of “green” steel and premium raw materials for pig iron production.
According to the company, following a working visit by Metinvest’s management to Northern GOK and Kametstal, the program at Northern GOK includes two projects: the modernization of the LURGI 552-A roasting machine and the construction of a flotation and finishing complex. Once the program is implemented, Northern GOK will be able to produce approximately 4 million tons of DR pellets per year.
A separate focus of the management’s visit was Kametstal’s converter shop, which is one of the key elements in the company’s strategy for developing its metallurgical enterprises. The company is considering the possibility of building a new continuous casting machine (CCM) for slab production. The implementation of this strategic project will allow the enterprise to manufacture new products, improve their quality, and strengthen Metinvest’s competitive position in its sales markets.
As reported, Metinvest presented, among other things, an $189 million waste thickening project at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025 in Rome. The new complex will reduce the volume of slurry pumped to the tailings pond during the iron ore enrichment process by 30%. Energy savings: 125 MWh per year. Project launch timeframe: three years.
Northern GOK and Kametstal are part of the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are PJSC System Capital Management (SCM, Donetsk) (71.24%) and the Smart-Holding group of companies (23.76%). The management company of the Metinvest Group is Metinvest Holding LLC.
McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd., which operates the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain in Ukraine, has added 13 dishes from eight other countries to its menu, according to the company’s press service.
The dishes are being offered as part of the “World Menu Heist” campaign, the first European campaign in McDonald’s history to be rolled out simultaneously in several countries. The new items will be available at all open McDonald’s restaurants in Ukraine from April 15 to June 24, 2026, or until supplies last.
The Ukrainian menu will feature the Canadian “Maple BBQ & Bacon Royal Cheeseburger,” “Maple BBQ & Bacon Double Royal,” and “McCrispy Hot Honey,” a shrimp roll from Cyprus, shrimp from Croatia, “McShaker Fries” with ramen flavor from Japan, “McShaker Fries” with cheese and truffle flavor from Singapore, “McFlurry Popcorn Caramel” from Indonesia, and more.
The first McDonald’s restaurant in Ukraine opened on May 24, 1997, in Kyiv. Currently, McDonald’s employs nearly 11,000 Ukrainians and operates 139 restaurants, of which 124 are currently open in 42 locations.
According to data from the OpenDataBot analytical system, McDonald’s in Ukraine generated 21.3 billion UAH in revenue in 2025, which was 26.6% higher than the figure for the same period last year. Net profit increased by 21.3%, to 1.567 billion UAH. In 2025, the company paid 3.5 billion UAH in taxes to the budget.
The owner of the foreign-invested enterprise “McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd.” is listed as MCD Europe Limited (100%, London, United Kingdom).
