A vessel with 1,000 tons of wheat flour for Palestine arrived from Turkey to Jordan as part of the presidential program Grain from Ukraine, the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said on his Telegram channel.
“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Grain from Ukraine initiative in cooperation with the WFP sent the first of three shipments to Palestine, which will provide food aid to more than 100,000 families caught in the middle of the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” he wrote, noting that this shipment was the first to be delivered to Palestine under this initiative.
Yermak emphasized that Ukraine continued to provide vital assistance to innocent civilians suffering from food shortages and at risk of starvation.
“Ukraine has always been and will continue to be a donor of food security for the whole world. Over the course of the program’s existence, Ukraine has supplied essential foodstuffs to many countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. Food security is one of the important points of the Formula for Peace, and I call on all countries to join our collective efforts to achieve it,” he wrote.
According to Yermak, other ships are also scheduled to depart in the coming months. “In total, Ukraine plans to deliver more than 7,000 tons of wheat flour to Gaza under the initiative with the support of donors, including Norway, Austria, Estonia, France and Iceland,” the head of the Presidential Office said.
In January-June this year, DTEK Energy machine builders manufactured and repaired 757 units of mining equipment, including 8 new tunnelling and shearers.
“Machine builders also provided miners with 542,000 spare parts and components,” the energy holding said in a press release on Thursday.
According to the company, such volumes of the required equipment make it possible to continue laying a stronger foundation for the thermal generation to go through the next heating season.
“There are only a few months left before the autumn-winter period. We are strengthening the energy front, which suffers from constant enemy attacks, from all sides. Power engineers are working 24/7 to restore the destroyed and damaged capacities of thermal power plants. Miners are working to meet the fuel needs of thermal power plants. And machine builders are working to ensure that the latter have everything they need,” said DTEK Energy CEO Ildar Saleev, as quoted in the press release.
As reported, in 2023, the company’s investments in Ukrainian coal mining amounted to about UAH 7 billion, which is almost twice as much as in 2022.
“DTEK Energy provides a closed cycle of electricity generation from coal. As of January 2022, the company’s installed capacity in thermal generation amounted to 13.3 GW. The company has established a full production cycle in coal mining: coal mining and enrichment, mechanical engineering, and maintenance of mine equipment.
Currently, most of DTEK Group’s thermal generation facilities have been destroyed as a result of Russian attacks.
Metinvest Group’s Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works has modernized the transfer trolleys between the departments of its Cold Rolling Shop (CRS), allocating UAH 2 million for this purpose.
According to the company, the upgrade took four months to complete, and the transportation of rolled products from one department of the Cold Rolling Shop to another has become safer and more efficient.
It is specified that the trolleys were replaced with more modern electrical equipment, additional warning beacons, as well as optical and radiation sensors were installed.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Prices for benchmark crude oil continue to rise on the back of data showing a decline in US fuel stocks for the third week in a row.
Such a long period of decline was last seen in September last year.
The drop in oil reserves exceeded market expectations.
In addition, recent statements by representatives of the Federal Reserve System have increased expectations that the US central bank will cut its base rate in September. This will boost economic growth and, accordingly, lead to an increase in demand for energy resources, Trading Economics writes.
Quotations of September futures for Brent on the London ICE Futures exchange by 8:05 a.m. rose by $0.37 (0.4%) to $85.45. On Wednesday, these contracts rose by $1.35 (1.6%) to $85.08 per barrel.
Prices for August futures for WTI in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) on Thursday morning increased by $0.57 (0.7%) to $83.42 per barrel.
At the end of the previous session, these contracts rose by $2.09 (2.6%) and ended trading at $82.85 per barrel.
Commercial oil inventories in the United States last week decreased by 4.87 million barrels, the country’s Energy Ministry reported.
Gasoline reserves increased by 3.33 million barrels, distillate reserves – by 3.45 million barrels.
Experts had expected an increase in oil reserves by 0.8 million barrels, as well as a decrease in gasoline reserves by 1.7 million barrels and distillate reserves by 0.5 million barrels, according to Trading Economics.
Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Commodity Insights had forecast an increase in oil reserves by 0.54 million barrels and a decrease in gasoline and distillate reserves by 0.7 million barrels and 0.59 million barrels, respectively.
The European Commission on Wednesday approved the disbursement of the first regular tranche of EUR4.2 billion of budget support to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility and is awaiting a final decision by the EU Council as soon as possible, according to a press release from the European Commission.
“Despite all the difficulties, Ukraine has been implementing key reforms to restore its economy and move forward on its path to the EU. This has allowed the Commission to give the green light for additional payments to Ukraine of almost EUR4.2 billion, and I believe that the Council will quickly give its approval,” the release quotes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as saying.
It is specified that, once approved by the Council, this decision will bring the total amount of funds allocated by the EU to Ukraine since the launch of the Ukraine Facility in March this year to EUR 12 billion.
The European Commission recalled that regular quarterly disbursements under the Ukraine Facility are subject to Ukraine’s fulfillment of pre-agreed requirements and ensure the predictability of financial assistance.
It is indicated that, based on the results of the assessment of the disbursement request submitted by Ukraine on July 9, 2024, the Commission concluded that Ukraine has satisfactorily implemented nine reform indicators related to the first regular payment in support of the Ukraine Plan – Ukraine’s reform and investment strategy for the next four years. These reforms cover public financial management, management of state-owned enterprises, business environment, energy, and mine action. In particular, the press release highlights the reform of the Bureau of Economic Security, the adoption of new corporate governance standards for state-owned enterprises, and the National Energy and Climate Plan, which coordinates and plans energy and climate policy until 2030 with specific goals, including a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an increase in the share of renewable energy sources.
Ukraine Facility is an instrument that provides for the possibility of Ukraine receiving EU financial and technical assistance totaling EUR 50 billion in 2024-2027. Of this amount, EUR 38.27 billion is allocated for budget support (including EUR 5.27 billion in grants), EUR 6.97 billion for the investment fund, and EUR 4.76 billion for technical and administrative support.
The state budget for 2024 has already received EUR 7.9 billion under the Ukraine Facility: EUR 6 billion in two tranches of transitional financing and a tranche of EUR 1.9 billion of unconditional financing.
To receive the next tranches, Ukraine must submit a duly justified request for disbursement on a quarterly basis until the end of 2027. The Commission will then assess whether Ukraine has satisfactorily fulfilled the conditions set out in the Council decision.
Geographical structure of ukraine’s foreign trade (imports) in Jan-Apr 2024, mln USD
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
