Afina Group LLC, whose beneficiaries are Ruslan Shostak and Valery Kiptik, co-owners of the EVA and Varus chains, has officially completed the process of acquiring ownership of PJSC Vinnitsabythim, according to the company’s press service.
After fulfilling the necessary legal conditions of the deal, the enterprise became the property of the company. This completes the lengthy privatisation process of one of the key assets of Ukrainian industry in the field of household chemicals.
As reported, in August 2025, Afina Group won an online auction for the privatisation of the nationalised PJSC Vinnitsabythim, offering UAH 608.136 million against the initial price of UAH 301.406 million.
Afina Group noted that the acquisition of ownership rights to Vinnitsabytkhim is part of a long-term strategy for the development of Ukrainian production. The company sees the enterprise as a key platform for further expanding its portfolio of own brands, launching new products and introducing modern quality standards that meet the requirements of national and international markets.
A separate emphasis in the further development of the plant will be placed on preserving and gradually increasing the number of jobs in the region. The implementation of investment plans provides for the expansion of production capacities, which will create additional opportunities for employment and professional development of specialists.
Afina Group considers the acquisition of PJSC Vinnitsabythim to be a responsible investment step and a contribution to strengthening Ukrainian industry, supporting the country’s economic stability and developing national brands during wartime.
Earlier it was reported that on 31 July 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) upheld the Ministry of Justice’s claim to apply sanctions to the Russian company Nevskaya Kosmetika in the form of a 100% stake in the Ukrainian company Vinnytsia Bytkhim being transferred to the state.
In July 2022, the seized assets of PJSC Vinnitsabytkhim were transferred to the National Agency for the Identification, Search and Management of Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA).
Following a competitive selection process in July 2023, Kraitex-Service LLC, part of the Afina Group, was granted the right to resume operations and become the asset manager. Kraitex-Service later announced that it would invest UAH 400 million in launching production at Vinnitsabytkhim.
ARMA ceased management of the asset in April 2025 and transferred it to the State Property Fund of Ukraine for further implementation. According to the National Agency, during the period of management of the seized asset, almost UAH 100 million was transferred to the state budget.
While managing the plant, Afina Group launched production of its own brands, Vuhastyk and Sarmix, at its facilities.
PJSC Vinnitsabytkhim is one of the oldest manufacturers of household chemicals in Ukraine with a long history and significant industrial potential. The company has a tower technology for the production of washing powders, which is unique for the Ukrainian market, a modern laboratory base and a developed production and warehouse infrastructure. The plant is of strategic importance for the household chemicals industry and plays an important role in the industrial development of the region.
Afina Group has been operating in the Ukrainian market for over 20 years and is one of the leading operators in the fields of distribution, logistics and the creation of its own brands. The most famous brands of Afina Group are TM Vuhastyk, TM SARMIX, and TM iFresh. The company serves key national and local retail chains through its own extensive network of branches and distribution logistics centres. Its coverage area includes the whole of Ukraine.
According to data from YouControl, in the first three quarters of 2025, Afina Group LLC increased its revenue by 10.7% to UAH 2 billion 286.125 million, with a net loss of UAH 90.576 million compared to a net profit of UAH 68.525 million in the third quarter of 2024.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a risk-sharing guarantee without financing in the amount of UAH150 million (EUR3.1 million) to cover half of the loan issued by Ukrsibbank to retailer EVA for the development of its logistics hubs, the company’s press service reported.
“This agreement is an important milestone for EVA and our first experience of cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We underwent a thorough analysis by the EBRD, which confirmed EVA’s financial stability, the compliance of our activities with the criteria of Ukrsibbank and the EBRD for borrowers, and the recognition of our company as a reliable partner capable of developing its business even in wartime,” said Lilia Volenko, CFO of Rush LLC (EVA and eva.ua network), in a press release.
It is noted that this agreement was the first time the bank used the EBRD’s risk-sharing program (individual investment loan guarantee) to provide an investment loan to a corporate client. Previously, risk sharing rules allowed the bank to share risks only for working capital financing transactions.
According to Volenko, this agreement is a signal to the market about the possibility of attracting long-term financing with the support of international institutions in wartime.
Rush LLC, which manages the EVA chain, was founded in 2002. The chain has over 1,100 stores.
According to YouControl, the owner of Rush LLC is listed as Cyprus-based Incetera Holdings Limited (100%), with Ruslan Shostak and Valery Kiptik as the ultimate beneficiaries.
At the end of the third quarter of 2025, Rush’s net income increased by 18.6% compared to the same period last year, reaching UAH 22.9 billion. Net profit decreased by 14.7% to UAH 1.7 billion.
The EVA chain of stores has invested approximately UAH 100 million in improving the energy independence of its stores, logistics centers, and offices since 2022, purchasing nearly 1,200 generators and installing three rooftop solar power stations, according to the company’s press service.
The backup power system in stores is based on gasoline generators (1,133 units). The company keeps several dozen more generators in reserve to supplement the network or replace them in case of breakdowns. Uninterruptible power supplies based on EcoFlow and other similar systems are also provided. Stores located in shopping centers can obtain the necessary energy from the diesel-generating capacities of the shopping centers.
According to the press service, the share of cashless payments at EVA is over 50%, and the ability to pay for purchases by card even in the event of power outages and mobile communication interruptions is provided through fiber-optic internet. It is connected to store servers that exchange data with the company’s central server and bank POS terminals.
“In the absence of such a channel, a scheme has been implemented to work with data terminals that accumulate data and synchronize with the central server as soon as a connection is available. However, in this case, the use of loyalty program options is limited—bonuses are accrued but cannot be redeemed,” explains Viktor Sredniy, COO of the EVA store chain.
The company’s key distribution centers were provided with independent power supplies (powerful diesel generators) even before 2022. Currently, sufficient diesel fuel reserves have been made to ensure the operation of warehouses during stabilization/emergency shutdowns of the centralized power supply.
As an additional source of energy, solar power plants were installed at the company’s distribution centers in 2025: in Lviv (1,239 panels, 718 kW capacity), Dnipro (791 panels, 459 kW capacity), and Brovary (1,940 panels, 1,125 kW capacity).
According to Mykola Leonov, chief power engineer of the EVA and EVA.UA chain of stores, SES coverage ranges from 17% to 66% depending on the season and warehouse operating mode.
In connection with the expansion of the network and the increase in the company’s logistics capabilities, work continues in the direction of energy independence and energy efficiency. New stores are being equipped with generators on an ongoing basis. There are plans to install a rooftop solar power plant on a new warehouse building in Lviv and to purchase powerful diesel generators for backup power for this building and a new warehouse in Brovary. These facilities are scheduled to be commissioned in 2026.
“We are technically prepared for possible challenges. At the same time, the major risks for the business lie in the unpredictability of the scale and duration of power outages. We cannot maintain significant fuel reserves for each store, and since generators are now used by many companies across the country, simultaneous high demand could lead to a shortage of resources,” says Leonov.
Rush LLC, which operates the EVA chain, was founded in 2002. As of early 2025, the chain had 1,109 stores in operation.
According to YouControl, the owner of Rush LLC is listed as Cyprus-based Incetera Holdings Limited (100%), with Ruslana Shostak and Valeria Kiptika as the ultimate beneficiaries.
At the end of Q3 2025, Rush’s net income increased by 18.6% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 22.916 billion. Net profit decreased by 14.7% to UAH 1.7 billion.
Rush LLC, owner of the EVA chain in Ukraine, received UAH 14.8 billion in net income in January-June 2025, which is almost 19% more than in the same period of 2024, according to the company’s press service.
The release specifies that net profit for the period amounted to UAH 548 million, while tax payments reached almost UAH 2.5 billion.
In the first half of the year, the company invested UAH 800 million. Significant areas of investment include network development, modernization, and rebranding (almost UAH 150 million), the acquisition of a logistics complex in Brovary from Dragon Capital, as well as the expansion of the self-service checkout network and the introduction of a new store format.
During the first half of the year, the company opened 29 new stores, 16 of which feature the “Women’s Energy” design. The chain now has 1,127 stores in operation, 143 of which feature the “Women’s Energy” design and three in the EVA BEAUTY format.
Thanks to the expansion of its network, EVA has created 225 new jobs. As of June 30, the company had a total of 13,949 employees.
EVA’s private label department continues to develop its portfolio, which currently includes 66 brands. In particular, the division has entered a new category: car fragrances.
In the decorative cosmetics category, the trendy Jelly collection from GlamBee was presented, and the Fabien Marche perfume brand was expanded with two new lines: Hermetic Collection and Kaleidoscop Collection. A new line of skincare products for problem skin, MAY face, was also launched.
The share of private label products in the company’s sales in real terms amounted to 37.88% in the first half of the year. In the second half of the year, specialists plan to focus on developing exclusive private label projects for EVA.UA (beauty gadgets, fitness accessories, etc.), as well as introducing new hair coloring, toning, and styling products to customers.
The company’s logistics department has completed a number of large-scale projects. At the beginning of the year, an agreement was signed with Dragon Capital to acquire a logistics complex in Brovary.
The modernization of the online store’s distribution centers in Lviv and Brovary has increased the maximum order processing capacity from 12-15 thousand to 20 thousand per day at each warehouse. Significant software improvements have been implemented to optimize the selection and control of online orders. All this has made it possible to increase employee productivity in the control and packaging department by 75%, reduce the number of errors in order packaging to 0.013%, cut operating costs for control and packaging by 40%, and reduce the average order picking time by almost 2.5 hours.
Another important area of work for the logistics department is the development of its own courier service. In Dnipro, Lviv, and Kyiv, according to the results of the first half of the year, 68% of courier deliveries are already carried out using the company’s own resources. In the near future, it is planned to expand the service to Odesa and Kharkiv. The share of in-house deliveries to pick-up points in stores has also increased from 54% at the end of 2024 to 64% at the end of the first half of 2025.
The EVA.UA marketplace already offers over 350,000 products from EVA itself and over 130 partner sellers. The growth rate of the company’s online store traffic in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 was 26%, the growth rate of orders was 35%, and the growth rate of turnover was 56%.
More than a third of orders on EVA.UA continue to be placed via the company’s mobile app. At the end of the first half of the year, it had over 5.6 million installations and over 800,000 active users per month. In the first half of the year, the company integrated the VISUAL by EVA functionality into the app. In addition, EVA launched a personalized consultation service with a cosmetologist expert in Viber and Telegram chatbots. Currently, EVA chatbots have over 2 million subscribers.
Rush LLC, which manages the EVA chain, was founded in 2002. As of early 2025, the chain had 1,109 stores in operation.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Rush LLC is listed as Incetera Holdings Limited (100%), a Cypriot company, with Ruslana Shostak and Valeria Kiptika as the ultimate beneficiaries.
At the end of 2024, Rush’s revenue increased by 28.2% compared to the previous year, to UAH 27 billion. Net profit decreased by 36.7%, to UAH 1.4 billion.
On July 12, Rush LLC, owner of the EVA chain in Ukraine, opened its first store of the new compact format “EVA поруч” in the village of Zazimya in the Brovarsky district of the Kyiv region, according to the company’s press service.
By the end of 2025, the chain plans to open 10 EVA Nearby stores. The next openings are already scheduled for July in the Kyiv region in the village of Sofiivska Borshchahivka (Bucha district) and in the village of Hatne (Fastiv district).
It is specified that the experimental format of the compact “EVA Nearby” store will have an average area of about 60 square meters, which is 3-4 times less than a standard EVA store.
“This format is designed to help us meet consumer needs where this was previously impossible due to a lack of space sufficient to open a regular EVA store. EVA Nearby will ensure our presence where it is important to shoppers,” said Viktor Sredniy, COO of the EVA chain.
The range will include around 2,000 SKUs (15-20,000 SKUs in full-format stores). However, the compact format will also feature unique offers with a focus on the affordable price segment. The focus of the assortment will be on household chemicals, household goods, basic childcare products, hygiene products, and body and hair care products. Decorative cosmetics and perfumes will not be available in the new format. However, the advantage of the “EVA поруч” format is that such a store will serve as a pickup point for online orders.
Investments in opening an “EVA поруч” store amount to UAH 500,000, while launching a standard EVA store costs UAH 3-5 million, depending on the design of the retail outlet, its area, and the initial condition of the premises. Each compact store creates an additional 3-4 jobs.
EVA Nearby currently has experimental status. The strategic development potential of the format will be determined by the results demonstrated, which the company plans to evaluate in 2026.
Rush LLC, which manages the EVA chain, was founded in 2002. As of early 2025, the chain had 1,109 stores in operation.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Rus LLC is listed as Incetera Holdings Limited (Cyprus, 100%), with Ruslana Shostak and Valery Kiptika as the ultimate beneficiaries.
At the end of 2024, Rush’s revenue increased by 28.2% compared to the previous year, to UAH 27 billion. Net profit decreased by 36.7%, to UAH 1.4 billion.
Rush LLC, the owner of the EVA network in Ukraine, will allocate UAH 162.4 million from its retained net profit for 2024 to pay dividends.
According to the company’s announcement in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the sole member of the LLC made the decision on June 26.
Thus, the distribution of 20.5% of the balance of net retained earnings for 2024 – UAH 162.4 million out of the total amount of UAH 792.5 million – was approved for the payment of dividends. Dividends will be accrued no later than six months from the date of the resolution.
Rusch LLC, which manages the EVA network, was founded in 2002. As of the beginning of 2025, the chain had 1109 operating stores.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Rush LLC is Cyprus-based Incetera Holdings Limited (100%), with Ruslan Shostak and Valeriy Kiptyk as the ultimate beneficiaries.
In 2024, Rush’s revenue increased by 28.2% year-on-year to UAH 27 billion. Net profit decreased by 36.7% to UAH 1.4 billion.
