According to Experts.news, Romania became the largest supplier of road bitumen to Ukraine in January–October 2026, increasing exports of this product to the Ukrainian market by nearly 4.9 times—to 107,000 metric tons compared to 22,000 metric tons during the same period last year, according to data from the A-95 Consulting Group released on November 11.
Romania’s share of Ukraine’s total road bitumen imports reached 40.8%, up from 13.8% a year earlier. In physical terms, shipments increased by 85,000 metric tons, or 386%.
Lithuania ranked second among supplier countries, with 94,000 metric tons of bitumen imported over the ten-month period, compared to 38,000 metric tons during the same period in 2025. The increase amounted to 147%, and the share of Lithuanian products in total imports rose to 35.9%.
In contrast, Poland, which was the largest supplier of road bitumen to Ukraine in 2025, reduced its shipments by 51%—from 94,000 to 46,000 metric tons. Its share of the Ukrainian market fell from 59.1% to 17.6%.
From January through October, 12,000 metric tons of bitumen were imported from Greece, a 140% increase compared to the 5,000 metric tons imported a year earlier. Imports from other countries totaled approximately 3,000 metric tons.
Romania, Lithuania, and Poland accounted for 247,000 metric tons, or 94.3% of Ukraine’s total road bitumen imports.
In total, over the first ten months of 2026, Ukrainian companies imported 262,000 metric tons of bitumen, compared to 159,000 metric tons during the same period last year. The increase amounted to 103,000 metric tons, or 65%.
The structure of supplies by major companies has also changed. On the Lithuanian route, ORLEN Lietuva, part of the Polish ORLEN Group, remains the leading producer. In the Romanian market, suppliers to Ukrainian companies include Guven Asfalt, OMV Petrom, and other operators. Supplies from Poland are provided, in particular, by ORLEN and Unimot.
In October, Lithuania became the largest source of imports, supplying nearly 10,000 metric tons of bitumen, compared to 13,000 metric tons in September.
Romanian companies supplied about 9,000 metric tons of product, maintaining volumes at the previous month’s level. The largest suppliers were Guven Asfalt with 4,000 metric tons and OMV Petrom with 3,000 metric tons.
Supplies from Poland in October fell threefold—to 1,700 metric tons. Approximately 75% of this volume was supplied by ORLEN.
Total imports of road bitumen in October amounted to 20,000 metric tons, which is 28% less than in September and 9% less than in October 2025.
The A-95 Consulting Group attributes the increase in imports over the first ten months to an uptick in highway repairs, maintenance of which had been significantly limited following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
According to analysts’ estimates, the prolonged hiatus in repairs and the increased strain on road transport due to problems with maritime and rail logistics are driving up the need to restore road infrastructure.
Road bitumen is the primary raw material for the production of asphalt concrete mixtures used in the construction, reconstruction, and repair of highways. The Ukrainian market is heavily dependent on imported supplies of this product.
Source: enkorr, a study by the “A-95” Consulting Group dated November 11, 2026.
In January–October 2026, Ukraine imported 262,000 metric tons of road bitumen, which is 65%, or 103,000 metric tons, more than in the same period last year, according to data from a study by the A-95 Consulting Group published on November 11.
According to analysts, the main factor behind the increase in purchases was the resumption of road repair work, which had been significantly limited following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The “A-95” Consulting Group attributes the growth in demand for bitumen to the need to restore and maintain the road infrastructure.
“The growth in bitumen imports reflects, first and foremost, the intensification of repair work,” noted “A-95.”
According to experts, after nearly four years of limited funding and road repairs, the condition of a significant portion of the road infrastructure requires additional attention.
Road transport has taken on particular importance amid the war, as damage to transportation infrastructure and restrictions on maritime and rail logistics are increasing the burden on the road network.
At the same time, imports of road bitumen fell to 20,000 metric tons in October, down 28% from September and 9% from October 2025.
Road bitumen is used primarily in the production of asphalt concrete mixtures for the construction, reconstruction, and repair of highways.
Source: enkorr, a study by the “A-95” Consulting Group dated November 11, 2026.
A-95, BITUMEN, IMPORTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, LITHUANIA, ROMANIA, UKRAINE
The process of rapprochement between Moldova and Romania has effectively already begun thanks to the implementation of joint transport and energy projects, although the question of political unification of the two states remains open. This was stated by Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi in an interview with Romanian television channel TVR Info on November 6, 2026.
According to the minister, the construction of a motorway, new bridges across the Prut River, and energy interconnections is gradually creating conditions for closer economic integration between the two countries.
“It is already happening,” Popșoi said in response to a journalist’s question about the prospects for the unification of Moldova and Romania.
The minister identified the A8 motorway, known as the “Union Motorway” (Autostrada Unirii), as one of the key infrastructure projects. It is intended to connect Romania’s transport network to the Moldovan border near Ungheni.
Popșoi also drew attention to the construction of new bridges across the Prut River, which separates Moldova and Romania.
According to him, no new bridge had been built across the river for approximately 60 years, whereas a crossing is now under construction near Ungheni and other projects are being developed.
Another area of cooperation is the integration of energy infrastructure. The development of cross-border electricity interconnections is expected to improve the reliability of energy supply and expand opportunities for electricity exchange between the countries.
The head of Moldova’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that practical economic projects may prove to be a more effective instrument for bringing the two states closer together than political discussions about unification, which have continued for several decades.
At the same time, the minister acknowledged that he could not specify a timeframe for the possible political unification of Moldova and Romania.
He stressed that such a decision must be made democratically and transparently, with broad public support on both sides of the Prut River.
Popșoi also confirmed that, according to opinion polls, there is currently no majority of the population in Moldova supporting unification with Romania.
Moldova gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR. Romania has been a member of the European Union since 2007. The two countries maintain close historical, cultural, and economic ties, while the development of transport and energy infrastructure is regarded as one of the areas of regional integration.
Moldova obtained candidate status for accession to the European Union in June 2022 and officially began EU accession negotiations in June 2024.
ENERGY, EXPERTS CLUB, INFRASTRUCTURE, INTEGRATION, MOLDOVA, ROMANIA
On November 6, 2026, Romania announced the launch of Dublat.com, a new travel booking platform that offers travelers free hotel stays during the off-season, provided they book a trip in December. The project was developed by the Romanian startup Novi Labs, which aims to increase occupancy rates at hotels, guesthouses, and vacation cottages during periods of low demand.
As reported by the Romanian business publication Economedia on November 5, the new platform uses a model whereby tourists pay standard rates for accommodations during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and, in return, receive additional free nights at the same property during the following months.
Specifically, for every two paid nights in December 2026, a tourist can receive one free night between January and May 2027.
Thus, booking four nights for Christmas or New Year’s could include two additional free nights for a return stay in the spring.
An important condition of the new program is that free nights can only be used at the same hotel, resort, or other tourist facility where the original reservation was made.
The dates of the return stay are determined at the time of the initial reservation. Hotel owners independently determine the list of rooms available under the program, as well as the dates covered by the promotion.
In particular, periods of high tourist demand, including the Easter holidays, may be excluded from the offer.
Thus, the program does not automatically provide free nights at any hotel in Romania. Its terms depend on the specific accommodation facility and room availability.
According to Adrian Oros, the founder of Dublat.com, the main idea is to create added value for tourists without having to lower accommodation rates during periods of peak demand.
“We don’t ask owners to lower prices; instead, we offer real added value. For every two paid nights in December, a guest can receive one night’s stay in the spring at the same location,” Oros noted.
Another distinctive feature of Dublat.com is its financial model for partnering with owners of vacation properties. According to the developers, the platform charges a commission of 5% of the booking price.
At the same time, there are no monthly subscription fees, listing fees, or hidden charges.
By comparison: according to the project’s initiators, commissions charged by major international travel booking platforms can range from 15% to 18% of the booking cost.
Thus, Dublat.com aims to offer owners of small hotels, guesthouses, and vacation cottages an alternative sales channel with lower intermediary service costs.
At the same time, free nights can encourage repeat visits by tourists during periods when demand for accommodations traditionally declines.
For the hospitality industry, this creates opportunities to generate additional revenue from food, tourist services, and other amenities, even when the room itself is provided free of charge.
The platform’s launch comes amid a relatively low level of utilization of Romania’s tourism infrastructure.
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics of Romania (INS), the average occupancy rate for tourist facilities in 2025 was 29.8%, which is 1.1 percentage points lower than in 2024.
Thus, more than 70% of available capacity remained unused on average throughout the year.
In 2025, Romania’s tourism facilities welcomed approximately 13.9 million guests, a 2.4% decrease compared to the previous year.
The total number of overnight stays was 29.685 million, down 1.7%.
At the same time, the average length of stay for tourists in the country was only 2.1 days.
Domestic tourists make up the majority of guests at Romanian hotels and guesthouses. In 2025, Romanian citizens accounted for 81.4% of all arrivals, while foreign visitors accounted for 18.6%.
The uneven distribution of tourist demand creates additional challenges for the hotel industry, particularly in mountainous and rural tourist regions.
During the Christmas holidays, New Year’s break, and summer vacations, many establishments experience high occupancy rates. At the same time, from January through May, some hotels and guesthouses face a significant drop in the number of visitors.
Meanwhile, owners continue to incur ongoing expenses for building maintenance, staff salaries, utilities, and taxes.
This new booking model is designed specifically to address this problem.
The business model proposed by Novi Labs combines high-season bookings with repeat visits to tourist destinations during periods of lower demand.
For tourists, the advantage is the opportunity to enjoy additional nights of vacation without paying for accommodation.
For hotel owners, this system can ensure more even utilization of their room inventory throughout the year and increase the number of repeat guests.
This model may be particularly relevant for small hotels, family-run guesthouses, vacation cottages, and rural tourism facilities, which are heavily dependent on seasonal demand.
At the same time, the actual effectiveness of the new service will depend on the number of hotels that join the platform, the availability of promotional dates, and tourists’ interest in repeat trips.
Dublat.com is a Romanian digital project in the field of travel reservations, created by the startup Novi Labs. The platform is focused on developing domestic tourism, supporting small accommodations, and increasing the utilization of tourism infrastructure during the off-season.
On the night of November 1, 2026, a series of four earthquakes was recorded in Romania’s Vrancea seismic zone; another tremor occurred that morning in the Black Sea. The earthquakes ranged in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.6, according to data from the National Institute for Research and Development in Earth Physics (INCDFP).
The first earthquake occurred at 12:46 a.m. local time in Vrancea County. It had a magnitude of 3.0, and its epicenter was located at a depth of 69.9 km.
At 1:35 a.m., a second, stronger tremor with a magnitude of 3.6 was recorded at a depth of 124.4 km. The epicenter was located approximately 37 km south of the city of Focșani and 64 km south of Buzău.
A third earthquake, with a magnitude of 2.1, occurred at 02:26 at a depth of 110.3 km. A fourth tremor, with a magnitude of 2.5, was recorded at 06:33 in Buzău County at a depth of 144.4 km.
Another earthquake occurred at 07:03 in the Black Sea, approximately 87 km south of Sevastopol. Its magnitude was 3.6, and the epicenter was at a depth of 69.8 km.
Experts classified all five earthquakes as minor. No reports of damage or casualties have been received.
The strongest earthquake in Romania since the beginning of 2026 occurred on October 19 in Buzău County. Its magnitude reached 4.8.
The Vrancea seismic zone, located in the Eastern Carpathians, is considered one of the most active seismic regions in Europe. Earthquakes here often occur at significant depths, and stronger tremors can be felt far beyond Romania’s borders, particularly in Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Romania presented an international initiative to raise $1.2 million for the purchase of ten modern ambulances for Ukrainian medical facilities. The presentation took place during the international forum “Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investment,” held on October 22–23, 2026, in Bucharest.
According to the Ukrainian diplomatic mission, the initiative is being jointly implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the state fundraising platform UNITED24.
As part of the conference, with the support of the embassy and the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Cluj-Napoca, a UNITED24 information booth was set up, where event participants could learn about the project and funding opportunities.
Ihor Prokopchuk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Romania, appealed to representatives of international business, investors, and conference participants to support the purchase of specialized ambulances for Ukrainian medical professionals.
The funds are earmarked for the purchase of fully equipped ambulances capable of providing emergency medical care directly during patient transport.
Each vehicle will be equipped with a ventilator, a defibrillator-monitor, an oxygen system, and other medical equipment necessary to maintain vital functions.
Such vehicles are particularly needed in regions under attack by Russian missiles and drones, as they allow medical care to be provided to victims even before they arrive at the hospital.
According to the initiative’s initial terms, the estimated cost of a single fully equipped ambulance is $120,000.
The project is part of the broader UNITED24 campaign, supported by former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who has experience in the field of emergency medical care.
On August 10, 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health announced the launch of a fundraising campaign for ten specialized vehicles. Ukrainian diplomatic missions in various countries joined the initiative.
Subsequently, the scope of the campaign was expanded. The official UNITED24 page now lists a total goal of $2.4 million to purchase 20 ambulances.
According to the platform, the vehicles are planned to be sent to medical facilities in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kherson regions, as well as to the Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine.
The Ukrainian healthcare system’s need for such vehicles remains significant. According to UNITED24, medical teams responded to over 4.5 million calls in 2025, and since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, 495 ambulances have been destroyed or damaged, including 46 in 2026.
The platform estimates Ukraine’s current need for Class C ambulances at 1,696 units, including 328 vehicles required directly by emergency medical centers.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Romania has called on Romanian companies, international partners, and representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora to help fund the project.
Donations are accepted through the official UNITED24 page: https://u24.gov.ua/uk/scott-kelly-fundraiser-for-ambulances
The international conference “Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investment” took place on October 22–23, 2026, at the ROMEXPO exhibition complex in Bucharest. It was organized by the Romanian think tank New Strategy Center in collaboration with the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The academic partner was
the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest.
The forum’s program included 31 thematic discussions focused on the recovery of the Ukrainian economy, attracting international investment, financing infrastructure projects, and the development of the energy sector, agriculture, the defense industry, transportation logistics, and cross-border cooperation.
Particular attention was paid to Romania’s role as a logistics and investment hub for Ukraine’s recovery. Investment opportunities in the Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kyiv regions were presented at the conference.
Representatives of Ukrainian and Romanian government agencies, international financial organizations, investors, and business associations took part in the discussions. Among the registered participants were representatives of the European Investment Bank, the German development bank KfW, Japan’s JBIC, Poland’s BGK, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UkraineInvest, and the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs.
The forum continued a series of New Strategy Center events dedicated to Romania’s participation in Ukraine’s recovery, which were previously held in December 2023 and December 2025.
