Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

NBU fined FC Axioma and FC Centrofinance UAH 200,000

The National Bank of Ukraine fined FC Axioma LLC UAH 200,000 for violating currency legislation.

The violations concerned the timing of providing fragments of video archive data at the request of the NBU. A similar fine of UAH 200,000 was imposed on FC Centrofinance LLC for failure to comply with the requirements for equipping a separate unit with a video surveillance system for currency transactions.

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NBU fined FC Goldana Plus and FC Forward Finance UAH 340,000 each

The National Bank of Ukraine fined FC Goldana Plus LLC and FC Forward Finance LLC UAH 340,000 each.

According to the regulator, the companies failed to properly submit accurate information and documents in full to the NBU upon request.

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FC and OTP Leasing announce new EUR50 million program

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and OTP Leasing, the largest company in the Ukrainian market, have announced the launch of a EUR50 million risk sharing facility (RSF) to increase financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as mid-cap companies in Ukraine for energy and energy efficiency needs.

“This initiative aims to finance sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, trade, energy, and logistics, focusing primarily on sustainable energy solutions that enhance Ukraine’s energy resilience,” the IFC said in a press release on Friday.

Under the RSF, the IFC will assume up to 50% of the credit risk for a maximum amount of EUR 25 million. The project’s 10% capital cost compensation mechanism (up to a total of EUR 6 million) will encourage lessees to choose sustainable solutions over more polluting alternatives.

It is noted that against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion and high risk, private sector lending has declined, with corporate lending falling from 12.8% of GDP in 2021 to 9.2% of GDP in 2024, while the leasing sector, as a critical alternative to lending, contracted by 59.4% in 2022 and has only partially recovered thanks to support from the state and assistance from international development finance institutions.

In addition, since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has lost almost two-thirds of its power generation capacity, highlighting the need for decentralized and sustainable energy systems.

“Thanks to the current RSF, OTP Leasing will be able to offer more leasing deals to traditionally underfinanced SMEs and mid-caps in Ukraine that prioritize small-scale renewable energy generation and energy-efficient sustainable projects, particularly climate-smart agriculture and green transport,” the IFC noted.

IFC’s participation in the RSF and the capital cost compensation mechanism are supported by the IFC’s Economic Resilience Action Program (ERA) for Ukraine, funded by the UK Department for International Development with EUR10 million.

Andrew Okenden, the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires in Kyiv, noted that the UK strongly supports Ukraine’s green and sustainable economic recovery, and that this approach reflects the key priorities of the 100-year Partnership Agreement signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year.

According to IFC Regional Manager for Ukraine Lisa Kestner, the new agreement will increase access to finance for Ukrainian businesses, particularly in critical sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing, and logistics. “Our initiative will help businesses invest in sustainable energy solutions such as climate-smart agriculture, small-scale renewable energy generation, and energy efficiency projects,” she emphasized.

Since February 2022, IFC, as part of its Economic Resilience Action Program (ERA) for Ukraine, has provided $2.5 billion in support to Ukraine’s private sector, including $940 million in mobilized financing.

According to IFC, as of March 31, 2025, OTP Leasing had approximately 33.6% of the Ukrainian market share in terms of leasing portfolio ($330.5 million in outstanding lease transactions). The company provides financial leasing and fleet management services to SMEs and mid-caps throughout the country. The company is wholly owned by Hungary’s OTP Bank Plc.

 

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NBU revokes license of FC “Fraser”

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has revoked the license of FC “Fraser” (Kyiv) to operate as a financial company providing funds and bank metals on credit and factoring, according to the NBU website. This decision was made by the Committee for Supervision and Regulation of Non-Bank Financial Services Markets on July 7, 2025.

According to information, in June of this year, the NBU took measures to conduct a scheduled inspection of the aforementioned financial company. When attempting to carry out the inspection, it was established that Frazier FC was not located at the address specified in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Organizations. This made it impossible to conduct the inspection and is grounds for revoking the financial company’s license.

The information emphasizes that, as of July 8, 2025, FC “Fraser” is not authorized to provide financial services (in particular, to conclude new contracts, extend the term of existing contracts, and increase the amount of obligations under them).

FC “Fraser” was registered in March 2018. Its authorized capital is UAH 6.5 million.

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Former goalkeeper Shovkovskyi appointed acting head coach of FC Dynamo Kyiv

Oleksandr Shovkovskyi has been appointed acting head coach of FC Dynamo Kyiv, and will prepare the team for the next matches in the Ukrainian championship.

According to Dynamo’s press service, Emil Karas, Oleh Husyev, and Mykhailo Mykhailov will also work on Shovkovsky’s coaching staff.

Shovkovskyi made his debut with Dynamo Kyiv in March 1994 and became the champion of Ukraine and the team’s main goalkeeper. In October 2016, he received his coaching license, but on December 12, 2016, he announced his retirement. On September 4, 2018, he became an assistant to the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Andriy Shevchenko. 1

On January 10, 2023, Shovkovskyi returned to Dynamo as an assistant head coach. In April 2023, he was appointed acting head coach of the team, for the period of recovery after Mircea Lucescu’s surgery.

As reported, on November 3, Mircea Lucescu resigned as head coach of Dynamo Kyiv and announced his retirement at a press conference after the match against Shakhtar Donetsk.

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Dario Srna takes over at FC Shakhtar

FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Patrick van Leeuwen have terminated their cooperation, with the club’s sporting director Dario Srna taking over as acting head coach, the club has announced.
“FC Shakhtar officially announces the termination of the contract with head coach Patrick van Leeuwen. Together with the coach, the coaching staff leaves the club,” reads a statement on the club’s official website on Monday.
As noted, van Leeuwen has been in charge of the Pitmen since July 2023. During this time, the team has played 12 official matches. “FC Shakhtar expresses its gratitude to Patrick van Leeuwen and his assistants for their professionalism and wishes them success and victories in the future,” the statement reads.
The team is led by the club’s sporting director Srna, who will reportedly “prepare Shakhtar for the next matches as acting head coach.”

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