The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has approved the acquisition by Omega LLC—which operates the Varus supermarket chain—of Ariteil LLC, the “KOLO” grocery store chain owned by Gennadiy Butkevych, a co-owner of the ATB Corporation.
The approval was granted on Thursday, July 16, according to the agency’s website.
“This deal will be one of the largest in the Ukrainian retail market in 2026. The merger will significantly strengthen the company’s position in the convenience retail segment. The combination of Varus’s extensive expertise and KOLO’s many years of experience in the ‘neighborhood store’ format will create a solid foundation for further business expansion,” reads a statement from Varus on Facebook.
According to information on the KOLO website, the chain currently operates more than 250 stores in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and Odesa. The first “KOLO” store opened in Kyiv in 2017.
According to the YouControl analytical system, the owner of Ariteil LLC is JSC “ZNVKIF ‘Magnitar’,” with Hennadiy Butkevych listed as the ultimate beneficiary.
In 2025, Ariteil LLC’s revenue grew by 23% compared to the previous year, reaching 3.2 billion UAH. The net loss increased to 124.9 million UAH. At the end of the year, the company’s total assets amounted to 1.1 billion UAH.
Varus is a national supermarket chain represented in Ukraine’s grocery retail market by the company “Omega.” The first store opened in 2003 in Dnipro. Currently, there are 119 supermarkets in various cities across Ukraine.
The chain operates in several formats: traditional supermarkets, To Go stores, and the Varus.ua online store.
Omega LLC is owned by the Cypriot company “Vegant Enterprises Limited,” with Valery Kiptik and Ruslan Shostak as the ultimate beneficiaries.
As of the end of 2025, Omega LLC increased its revenue by 20% compared to the previous year, to 24 billion UAH, while net profit rose by 37.8%, to 41.4 million UAH.
The Varus supermarket chain will open its first store in Vinnytsia on July 3, according to the company’s press office.
The new store is located in the PetroCenter shopping mall (70 Kotsyubynskoho Ave.). It offers everything needed for daily and family shopping: fresh meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, ready-to-eat meals, and delicacies. The store will feature a VARUS CAFE serving coffee and pizza, a bakery section, a WOK station, self-checkout lanes, and Scan&Go for quick purchases. Customers can also order items on VARUS.UA for pickup at this store at a convenient time.
According to the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers, this store is opening on the site of the former “EKO Market” supermarket, which was the chain’s last location in the city.
Varus is a national supermarket chain represented in Ukraine’s grocery retail market by the company “Omega.” The first store opened in 2003 in Dnipro. In 2025, seven new stores were opened. Currently, the total number stands at 119 supermarkets in various cities across Ukraine.
The chain operates in several formats: traditional supermarkets, To Go stores, and the Varus.ua online store.
According to the company, its network’s turnover in 2025 increased by 19.5% to 28.8 billion UAH. Tax payments to budgets at all levels totaled 1.99 billion UAH, which is 13.45% more than in 2024.
According to Opendatabot data, the owner of Omega LLC is the Cypriot company “Viant Enterprises Limited.” Valeria Kiptika and Ruslan Shostak are listed as the ultimate beneficiaries.
The national supermarket chain Varus invested approximately 648 million UAH in network expansion, the retailer’s press service told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Capital investments were directed toward opening new stores, modernizing the existing network, developing logistics infrastructure, and increasing energy independence, particularly through the installation of generators and solar panels.
“Our key task is to ensure the uninterrupted operation of stores, maintain liquidity, and ensure the predictability of financial flows even during blackouts, power outages, and logistical disruptions,” said CFO Marina Panina.
The opening of a five-year EBRD hryvnia credit line worth $25 million served as an additional sign of financial stability. The company views this as confirmation of international financial institutions’ confidence in businesses operating in Ukraine amid a full-scale war.
The company also reported that maintaining operational stability amid high uncertainty will remain a key financial priority in 2026. Among the main challenges are unstable power supply, labor shortages, and the impact of military operations on logistics.
Varus is a national supermarket chain represented in Ukraine’s grocery retail market by Omega. The first store opened in 2003 in Dnipro; seven new stores opened last year, bringing the total to 118 supermarkets across various cities in Ukraine. The chain operates in several formats: traditional supermarkets, To Go stores, and the Varus.ua online store.
According to the company, its network’s turnover in 2025 increased by 19.5% to UAH 28.8 billion. Tax payments to budgets at all levels totaled UAH 1.99 billion, which is 13.45% more than in 2024.
According to Opendatabot data, the owner of Omega LLC is the Cypriot company “Viant Enterprises Limited.” Valeria Kiptika and Ruslan Shostak are listed as the ultimate beneficiaries.
The national supermarket chain Varus increased its turnover by almost 20% in 2025, to UAH 28.8 billion, according to a press release on Tuesday, reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
It is noted that the number of stores increased by seven, or 6.3%, to 118.
The company noted that in July 2025, it decided to spin off the Varus.ua business line to implement a new e-commerce strategy and achieved a 97.2% increase in its turnover over the past year. By the end of 2025, the number of users of the mobile app reached about 500,000.
According to the release, the company is implementing a large-scale energy program to install nearly 4,000 solar panels at its network facilities, which will allow stores to cover up to 95% of their energy needs in the summer. The project is expected to pay for itself in approximately two years and will save about UAH 50 million annually.
“The plans for 2026 include equipping 18 more facilities with solar power plants. In addition, all stores in the chain are equipped with generators to ensure uninterrupted operation during power outages,” the release said.
Among the main results of last year was also the receipt in July of the first tranche of a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) — almost UAH 630 million for the development of the network, increasing business sustainability, and implementing energy-efficient solutions, of which about UAH 30 million went to the opening of its own distribution center (DC) in Dnipro.
In addition, another distribution center was launched in Odesa, and the energy independence of the entire logistics network was strengthened.
Other achievements include the automation of the full cycle of invoices through eDoc, the connection of 80% of suppliers to the system, and a 3.5-fold increase in the volume of electronic invoices over the year.
Varus also specified that it employs more than 8,000 people, and in 2025, the chain invested about UAH 60 million in social initiatives.
Varus is a national supermarket chain represented on the Ukrainian food retail market by Omega. The first store was opened in 2003 in Dnipro. The chain operates in several formats: classic supermarkets, To Go stores, and the Varus.ua online store.
According to Opendatabot, Omega LLC is owned by Cyprus-based Veigant Enterprises Limited. Valery Kiptik and Ruslan Shostak are listed as the ultimate beneficiaries.
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.
Grocery supermarket chain Varus will invest UAH 150 million in the installation of rooftop solar power plants (SPP) at 48 of its 115 facilities, the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers (UCC) has reported.
According to the report, the total capacity of the SPP will reach 4.8 thousand kWh, which will generate more than 5 million kW of electricity per year. The payback period of the project is estimated at two years.
The planned generation will amount to 21% of the annual consumption of supermarkets, with annual savings of UAH 50 million. It is noted that the company has chosen the model of direct consumption of generated energy due to the high cost of storage systems. The SPP will cover 95% of supermarkets’ electricity needs during the day.
The company plans to further expand the project to the entire supermarket chain and explore the possibility of installing gas diesel generators.
As reported, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has issued a $25 million loan to Varus for the reconstruction and modernization of equipment in existing stores, lease of a new warehouse, and installation of a solar power plant to reduce dependence on the grid.
Varus is a national supermarket chain represented on the Ukrainian grocery retail market by Omega. The chain’s first store was opened in 2003 in Dnipro, and the total number of its stores is 114 in different cities of Ukraine, including a DarkStore in Kyiv. The chain operates in several formats: classic supermarkets, To Go stores and the online store varus.ua.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Omega LLC is Cyprus-based Weigant Enterprises Limited, with Valeriy Kiptyk and Ruslan Shostak listed as the ultimate beneficiaries.
According to the company’s financial results for 2024, its revenue increased by 14.3% compared to the previous year and amounted to UAH 20 billion. The company’s net profit decreased by 80.9% to UAH 38.2 million.
