The production of trawls for transporting large-sized cargo in Ukraine in 2025 increased by 18% to 415 units, according to Dmytro Kysilevsky, deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development.
“We have achieved good results in the machine-building industry, which we risked losing just a few years ago. Demand generated by farmers, logistics companies, and partly by the state has been transformed into domestic production thanks to the ”Made in Ukraine” policy. The main instruments were localization in public procurement and compensation of 15% of the cost of Ukrainian equipment,” he wrote on Facebook.
Kysilevsky noted that last year, trawls in Ukraine were manufactured by three companies that are actively investing in the development and establishment of exports. Production of a new type of product, modular trawls, has also begun.
At the same time, the MP emphasizes that low-quality Turkish and Chinese trawls are still widely present in defense procurement.
“Bill No. 13392 on localization in defense procurement is designed to correct this. It will extend localization requirements to the procurement of civilian goods by the defense forces, including this type of product,” Kysilevsky wrote.
He recalled that in 2025, the share of the processing industry in the state budget was the largest – 18%, meaning that it is gradually becoming one of the driving forces of the Ukrainian economy.
The “Made in Ukraine” policy for the development of Ukrainian manufacturers combines programs that stimulate production, industrial investment, and non-raw material exports.
As reported, draft law No. 13392, co-authored by Kysilevsky, was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in the first reading on November 4, 2025.
In particular, the document provides for amendments to the Law “On Public Procurement,” whereby, until December 31, 2032, localization requirements will temporarily apply to defense procurement of civilian goods worth more than UAH 1 million, provided that such goods are included in the list of goods with a confirmed degree of localization of production directly by their manufacturer.
The required level of localization in 2026 is 30% (2025 – 25%).
Another shipment of energy equipment has been sent from Azerbaijan to Ukraine, provided by organizations, enterprises, and concerned citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan as part of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ initiative “Warmth for Ukraine” (#WarmthforUkraine), initiated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
This was reported by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Yuriy Gusev.
According to him, the aid is primarily intended to support the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES), as well as a number of affected communities. The shipment includes:
17 generators of various capacities, 4 portable power systems, and 3 heat guns. “This is not just equipment—it is warmth, light, and the ability to work, recover, and support each other amid daily Russian terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure,” the ambassador emphasized.
Gusev expressed his sincere gratitude to Azerbaijan, its top leadership, enterprises, organizations, and the entire Azerbaijani people for their consistent and concrete support of Ukraine during difficult times.
“Such assistance is extremely valuable. It once again confirms the friendship between our peoples and the strength of the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership,” the diplomat stressed.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry continues to work to attract similar assistance and is already coordinating with partners on the next shipment of necessary energy equipment.
According to Serbian Economist, associations of truckers from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia have announced their intention to start protest actions on January 26, 2026, by blocking freight terminals at border crossings in the direction of Schengen countries. The planned actions were reported by regional media outlets, citing statements from the relevant associations.
The carriers cite the practical application and future tightening of controls in connection with the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) as the reason for their actions. According to them, professional drivers from non-EU countries will effectively be subject to the 90-day rule within a 180-day period for short stays in the Schengen area, just like ordinary tourists. Carriers warn that with the “strict” application of the rules from spring 2026, some drivers may quickly exhaust their stay limit, which will create risks for supply chains and freight traffic between the EU and the Western Balkans region.
The European Commission has stated that it is monitoring the situation and is in contact with its Western Balkan partners, while pointing out that the rules for short stays in Schengen are “clear” and that practical decisions at the external borders are the responsibility of the member states.
EES is an automated EU IT system for registering the entry and exit of non-EU citizens on short-term trips, including recording document and biometric data, with the aim of improving the efficiency of external border controls and detecting overstays. The European Commission has announced that the system is being implemented in stages, with full deployment at all border crossing points planned for April 10, 2026, when electronic records are to finally replace stamps in passports.
If blockades are implemented at freight terminals, queues and delays are possible in a number of EU-Western Balkans directions, which may affect the timing of commercial deliveries in the region and throughout Europe.
Blockade, Bosnia, CARGO, Macedonia, MONTENEGRO, Schengen, SERBIA, Trucking company
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.
The total volume of cargo handled by Ukraine’s water logistics in 2025 decreased to 76.1 million tons, according to Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine – Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba, which is 21.7% less than the previously announced results for 2024.
“In 2025, water logistics remained one of the key areas of export and import. The total volume of transshipment through water logistics for the year amounted to 76.1 million tons of cargo, of which 67.8 million tons were provided by the ports of Greater Odessa,” Kuleba wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
Based on data for 2024, the reduction in transshipment in the ports of Greater Odessa amounted to 15.1%.
As Kuleba noted, since the launch of the maritime corridor in August 2023, 163 million tons of cargo have been transported, including 100 million tons of agricultural products.
The deputy prime minister specified that more than 8.2 million tons of cargo were transshipped through the Danube ports of Izmail, Reni, and Ust-Dunaysk during the year, while in 2024 this figure was 17.3 million tons.
Kuleba noted that the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company saw a 3.8-fold increase in the average number of caravans, a 43% increase in average monthly transport volumes, a twofold increase in the share of return cargo, and a 1.5-fold reduction in operating losses.
Separately, the Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery added that the port of Chornomorsk has begun preparing public-private partnership projects with a potential investment of up to $300 million.
In addition, $35 million in grant funding has been attracted under the RELINC program for the development of Danube ports and inland waterways, as well as EUR50 million in EU funding for the modernization of port and logistics infrastructure, Kuleba emphasized.
In 2023, Ukrainian seaports handled 62 million tons of cargo, of which 56.3 million tons were for export.
In 2024, according to the State Enterprise “Administration of Seaports of Ukraine,” Ukrainian ports handled 97.2 million tons of cargo.
On December 2, PJSC Ukrnafta announced a tender for insurance services covering the liability of dangerous goods transporters in the event of negative consequences during the transportation of such goods.
According to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, the expected cost of purchasing the services is UAH 471,691 thousand.
Documents will be accepted until December 10.
Ukrnafta JSC is Ukraine’s largest oil production company and operates the largest national network of gas stations, UKRNAFTA. In 2024, the company entered into asset management with Glusco. In 2025, it completed an agreement with Shell Overseas Investments BV to purchase the Shell network in Ukraine. In total, it operates 663 gas stations.
The company is implementing a comprehensive program to restore operations and update the format of gas stations in its network. Since February 2023, it has been issuing its own fuel vouchers and NAFTAKarta cards, which are sold to legal entities and individuals through Ukrnafta-Postach LLC.
The largest shareholder of Ukrnafta is Naftogaz of Ukraine with a 50%+1 share.
In November 2022, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to transfer the company’s corporate rights, which belonged to private owners, to the state, and they are now managed by the Ministry of Defense.
