Ukraine to receive USD244m from donor countries to purchase special equipment for humanitarian demining, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and economy minister Yuliya Sviridenko has said.
A number of donor countries will provide Ukraine with USD244m to purchase special equipment for humanitarian demining, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliya Sviridenko has said.
“Our donors, including the United States, the European Union, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Korea and the Howard Buffett Foundation will total more than USD244 million to Ukraine for humanitarian demining,” she wrote on Facebook.
According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, by the end of the year Ukraine should receive equipment from foreign partners, in particular, 10 demining vehicles from the Croatian company DOK-ING and another 10 vehicles from Global Clearance Solutions. It is expected to receive about 200 pyrotechnic machines, more than 600 metal detectors, 50 explosive machines, as well as individual demining kits, explosion-proof suits, quadrocopters, robotic systems for munitions clearance.
As reported, more than one third of agricultural land identified for priority demining has been surveyed in Ukraine. According to the State Emergency Situations Service, more than 411,000 explosive objects, including more than 3,000 aircraft bombs, have been neutralized on the territory of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale military invasion.
The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) expressed deep disappointment with the termination of the Grain Initiative and reiterated its demands to Russia to immediately stop military aggression and threats to merchant shipping, the IMO said on Facebook.
During the 129th session in London, the International Maritime Organization welcomed Ukraine’s efforts to ensure freedom and safety of navigation in the northwestern Black Sea and pre-empt the global food crisis. The organization warned Russia against any actions that would threaten global food security, as well as the supply of food, medicines and basic necessities to Ukraine, it said.
The aggressor country was urged to adhere to international conventions and stop threatening merchant shipping in the Black Sea.
“Food for millions of people cannot be a weapon in the hands of an aggressor state against the whole world. Neither the world nor Ukraine should and will not depend on the desire of the Russian Federation to participate or not in the Grain Initiative,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery – Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, whose words are quoted in the report.
He assured that Ukraine with partners is looking for solutions to continue agro-export and resumption of merchant shipping, as he realizes its responsibility in ensuring food security of the world and international trade.
The Ministry recalled that by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers a Fund of UAH 20 billion was created to provide guarantees of compensation if ships or cargo are damaged as a result of military aggression of the Russian Federation.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized UN agency that regulates international merchant shipping and is responsible for its safety. The organization has 175 member countries.
Source: https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/Pages/WhatsNew-1936.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1-mpNU9XWByqEgPhyfpv7EDay6QTvZc_28lYJGXQ9z9LOYHVHqfE2Ax6A,
Metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in June this year increased steel production by 47.8% compared to the same period last year – up to 436 thousand tons from 295 thousand tons.
In May-2023, 583 thousand tons of steel were melted.
At the same time, Ukraine took 25th place in the ranking of 63 countries – the world’s major producers of these products, compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel).
According to Worldsteel, in June-2023, a reduction in steelmaking by June-2022 was recorded in half of the top ten countries, except China, India, USA, Russia and Iran.
The top ten steel-producing countries at the end of June are as follows: China (91.110 million tons, up 0.4% by June-2022), India (11.205 million tons, up 12.9%), Japan (7.325 million tons, “minus” 1.7%), USA (6.789 million tons, “plus” 0.5%), RF (5.8 million tons, “plus” 3.8%), South Korea (5, 532 million tons, down 0.9%), Iran (3.159 million tons, up 17.4%), Turkey (2.937 million tons, down 1.5%), Germany (2.925 million tons, down 8.4%) and Brazil (2.566 million tons, down 12.5%).
Overall in June this year, steelmaking fell 0.1% year-on-year to 158.756 million tons.
For the first six months of 2023, the top ten steel-producing countries are as follows: China (535.640 million tons, up 1.3%), India (67.918 million tons, up 7.4%), Japan (43.833 million tons, down 4.7%), USA (39.855 million tons, down 2.9%), Russia (37.463 million tons, up 1%), South Korea (33, 675 million tons, down 0.5%), Germany (18.527 million tons, down 5.3%), Iran (16.125 million tons, up 4.8%), Brazil (15.972 million tons, down 8.9%) and Turkey (15.916 million tons, down 16.3%).
Overall, in January-June, 63 countries produced 943.9 million tons of steel, 1.1% less than in the same period of 2022.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 2.829 million tons of steel in 6M-2023, which is 37.7% less than in January-June 2022. The country is on the 24th place on the results of six months-2023.
As reported, at the end of 2022, the top ten steel-producing countries were as follows: China (1.013 billion tons, down 2.1%), India (124.720 million tons, up 5.5%), Japan (89.235 million tons, down 7.4%), USA (80.715 million tons, down 5.9%), Russia (71.5 million tons, down 7.2%), South Korea (65, 865 million tons, down 6.5%), Germany (36.849 million tons, down 8.4%), Turkey (35.134 million tons, down 12.9%), Brazil (33.972 million tons, down 5.8%) and Iran (30.593 million tons, up 8%).
Ukraine ranked 23rd for 2022 with steel production of 6.263 million tons (“minus” 70.7%).
In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.
The number of residents in Poland has fallen by 130,000 since last June, one of the highest annual population declines in a decade, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing a report by Poland’s Central Statistical Office.
“A preliminary report from the Central Statistical Office says there were about 130,000 fewer Poles in the EU country at the end of June than a year earlier. This is one of the highest population declines in Poland since 2010,” AP informs.
According to preliminary data, in the first half of this year recorded about 14 thousand fewer births compared to the same period in 2022. AP notes that such indicators are noted against the background of measures protecting the family and low unemployment, which in June amounted to about 5%.
There were also 34 more deaths than births for every 10,000 people in the first half of 2023. Last year this figure was 21.
Now there are about 37.7 million people in Poland, which is 800 thousand less than in 2010.
Kametstal” plant of mining and metallurgical group “Metinvest”, created at the facilities of Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works (DMK, Kamenskoye, Dnepropetrovsk region), in the converter shop implements a program to improve the stability of motors on continuous casting machine (CCM) streams.
According to the press release, this program is carried out for more reliable operation of the main equipment.
It is specified that the operation of motors on the caster creeks in high-temperature conditions and aggressive environment leads to their frequent failure and, consequently, to the reduction of the overhaul period. That is why the team consisting of specialists from the Engineering Directorate, BOF Shop, Chief Power Engineer Department with the participation of Metinvest-Promservice specialists set a task to increase the service life of the equipment.
Within the framework of the program, the CCM has already installed shelters-casing in the places of ingots exit to the block of pulling-right mechanism for additional protection of motors from radiation of red-hot metal, installed a powerful aerator for additional cooling of motors.
“Now specialists are working on the selection of the optimal type of lubricant, which largely determines the stability of the bearings and, consequently, the endurance of the engines. The solution of the task of extending the life of the engines on the creeks will improve the production performance and product quality of the CCM – this is an additional opportunity to avoid unscheduled stoppages of the creeks, to increase the inter-repair periods of equipment operation and, thus, to increase the efficiency of the shop,” said Denis Yeskov, the head of the converter shop, who is quoted by the press service.
“Kametstal” was created on the basis of PJSC “Dneprovsky Coke and Chemical Plant” (DCCP) and CEC of PJSC “Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works” (DMK).
According to the report of Metinvest Group’s parent company for 2020, Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owned 100% of DKHZ shares.
Nova Posta Group delivered more than 170 million parcels and cargoes in January-June 2023, which is 9% more than in the same period of pre-war 2021.
According to the company’s press service, the growth in volumes is due to the fact that Nova Posta continued to invest in infrastructure development across Ukraine increasing the number of outlets of various types by 935.
“The total number of outlets exceeds 10 thousand, and the number of postmarkets – 14 thousand. Now the network of postmarkets “Nova Posta” – the second largest in Europe”, – stated in the message of the company.
It is noted that the company continues to develop the network in the frontline and liberated territories. Now 388 offices work in the de-occupied territory of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
In addition, Nova Posta delivered 4.2 million international parcels in the first half of the year, which is 34% more than in the same period of 2021.
International delivery is performed by its own company Supernova Airlines. Since the start of flights in May this year in partnership with Latvia’s RAF-Avia, the airline has operated 14 flights and delivered 250,000 international parcels.
In addition, during March-June 2023, the company entered the market in four countries and opened 21 branches in Lithuania, Czech Republic, Romania, Germany and Poland.
“In Poland, Nova Post operates 32 branches and two sorting terminals. The number of delivered shipments between Ukraine and Poland for six months – 450 thousand. 250 thousand individuals and 1.8 thousand business representatives have already used the services,” – said in “Nova Post”.
The company in the first half of the year paid 5.1 billion UAH of taxes and fees to the budgets of Ukraine at all levels, which is 75% more than in the same period last year.
The network of Nova Posta Group, founded in 2001, now has more than 10 thousand outlets and 14 thousand post offices in Ukraine. It provides a full range of logistics and related services.
According to Standard-Rating, Novaya Posta’s revenue in the first quarter of 2023 increased 2.1 times to UAH 8 billion 83.1 million, EBITDA – almost 4.4 times to UAH 1 billion 307.8 million, and net profit – almost eight times to UAH 1 billion 54.91 million.
