Before purchasing equipment abroad, a Ukrainian company should check the seller, its financial condition, address, owners and ability to fulfil the contract.
The purchase of industrial equipment abroad often requires a substantial advance payment. Depending on the terms of the contract, a Ukrainian buyer may transfer 30–70% of the price to the supplier before the equipment is manufactured or shipped.
The larger the advance payment, the more important it is to make sure that the foreign company actually exists, has the stated specialisation, production capabilities and experience in fulfilling similar contracts.
A professional website, presentation, photographs of the equipment and active correspondence are not sufficient proof. Fraudsters may use other people’s images, create companies with similar names or send invoices containing the bank details of a third party.
Before concluding a contract, it is advisable to check the seller’s exact legal name, registration number, address, date of incorporation, status, executives, owners, corporate affiliations, financial indicators and payment history.
D&B’s Business ID Report and Business Information Report may contain registration details, information about operations, corporate structure, financial indicators, credit ratings, payment behaviour and legally significant events.
“The more attractive the offer and the larger the advance payment, the more thorough the seller’s verification should be. Photographs of the equipment, a website and a corporate presentation do not confirm that the company has the necessary assets, experience and ability to fulfil the contract,” said Maksym Urakin, Director of Development and Marketing at Interfax-Ukraine, Head of the D&B–Interfax-Ukraine business unit and PhD in Economics.
The bank details should be separately cross-checked against the legal entity specified in the contract. A change of bank account immediately before payment, a request to transfer money to another company or the use of a bank in a third country requires an additional explanation.
The risk can be reduced through staged payments, a documentary letter of credit, a bank guarantee, insurance, an independent inspection of the production facility or an inspection of the equipment before shipment.
If the seller is an intermediary, the buyer should understand who directly manufactures the equipment, who is responsible for the warranty and who will bear the obligations in the event of a delay or technical defect.
Verification is also necessary after the contract has been signed, especially if manufacturing takes several months. A deterioration in financial condition, a change of ownership or the cessation of operations may affect the fulfilment of the order.
Dun & Bradstreet has operated in the field of business information and risk assessment since 1841. The company provides international business reports and data on companies’ payment behaviour, corporate affiliations, creditworthiness and ownership structures.
Interfax-Ukraine is D&B’s official representative in Ukraine. The agency’s specialised unit helps Ukrainian companies order checks on foreign manufacturers, sellers and suppliers. Interfax-Ukraine has operated since 1992 and is an independent Ukrainian news agency.
For enquiries, please visit D&B’s specialised website at dnb.ua, email Urakin@interfax.kyiv.ua or call +38 (044) 270-65-74.
In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported machinery, equipment, and vehicles worth $25.7 billion, accounting for more than 44% of the country’s total merchandise imports, according to the State Customs Service.
The second-largest category was fuel and energy products, with imports totaling $8.5 billion, followed by chemical industry products at $8 billion.
Collectively, these three commodity categories accounted for $42.2 billion, or about 73% of Ukraine’s imports over the seven-month period.
During customs clearance of machinery, equipment, and vehicles, 145.5 billion UAH in customs duties were paid to the state budget, accounting for 28% of the corresponding revenue.
Fuel and energy products accounted for 172.7 billion UAH, or 34% of customs duties, while chemical products accounted for 66.5 billion UAH, or 13%.
Thus, the three largest import categories accounted for about 75% of customs duties.
Total imports of goods into Ukraine in January–July rose by 26.6% compared to the same period last year—to $58.1 billion.
The largest supplier countries were China with $16.8 billion, Poland with $5.5 billion, and Germany with $3.8 billion.
Schneider Electric has implemented a large-scale infrastructure project: 26 Ukrainian cities have received state-of-the-art equipment to improve the energy efficiency and operational reliability of their district heating systems.
Completing the project before the start of the 2025/2026 heating season allowed heating utilities to better prepare for peak loads. Thanks to the equipment provided, the cities were able to navigate the heating season more smoothly, reducing the risk of unscheduled outages and improving the overall efficiency of their systems.
As part of the project, Schneider Electric supplied control cabinets for pumps and blower mechanisms, equipped with state-of-the-art variable-frequency drives, to 26 cities in Ukraine across the Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Sumy, Poltava, and Kyiv regions.
A key element of the project was the implementation of variable-frequency drives to regulate the operation of pumping equipment at heat supply companies, which significantly improved the energy efficiency of the systems, reduced electricity consumption, optimized operating costs, and extended the service life of the equipment.
The solutions, based on Schneider Electric technologies, include fully equipped control cabinets for pumping equipment. The cabinets are protected against moisture and dust, allowing them to be installed directly in machine rooms, thereby reducing costs and simplifying installation.
The companies have gained tools for more flexible equipment management, reducing the load on the power grid, and improving the quality of heat supply services for consumers.
“This is not just about supplying equipment, but about a long-term investment in energy efficiency and the stability of heat supply in Ukraine. Already today, we are seeing how the implemented solutions are helping enterprises optimize energy consumption, improve system reliability, and lay the foundation for further modernization of the industry,” said Mykhailo Bubnov, CEO of Schneider Electric Ukraine.
The completed project serves as an example of collaboration aimed at implementing modern energy-efficient technologies and improving the operational efficiency of Ukraine’s utility companies.
Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy technologies that enhances efficiency and promotes sustainable development through the electrification, automation, and digitalization of industry, business, and residential spaces. The company’s technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and power grids to function as open, interconnected ecosystems, increasing productivity, resilience, and environmental sustainability. The company’s portfolio includes smart devices, software-defined architectures, artificial intelligence-based systems, digital services, and professional consulting services. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric consistently ranks among the world’s most sustainable companies.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, EQUIPMENT, HEATING, MODERNIZATION, Schneider Electric
The State Emergency Service (SES) received 10 sets of equipment for emergency rescue operations from Germany, the SES reported on Tuesday.
“The equipment allows SES specialists to more quickly free people from under rubble and cut through metal structures and vehicles. This equipment will significantly enhance the capabilities of our units and help save many more lives,” said Volodymyr Demchuk, Deputy Head of the SES of Ukraine.
The equipment was purchased by the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
“This is an example of effective cooperation and a testament to the genuine partnership and friendship between Germany and Ukraine,” emphasized Katrin Buchholz, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Germany.
The equipment was provided as part of the project “Support for State and Municipal Emergency Management in Ukraine,” which is being implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is part of the transition-period development assistance program.
This is not the first time the State Emergency Service has received assistance under this project, through which Ukrainian rescuers have been provided with modern technology and specialized equipment and have undergone training.
Ukrainian energy officials, together with European partners, have already inspected eight decommissioned combined heat and power plants in Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and the Netherlands with the aim of potentially supplying the surplus equipment to Ukraine, said Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister for Energy.
According to him, equipment from European power facilities is already being used to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s power grid. The Ministry of Energy has carried out 199 shipments of equipment, which is now in operation at energy facilities in the Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, and other regions.
Lithuania has made the largest contribution to this effort. Through the Lithuanian energy company AB Ignitis Gamyba, Ukraine received 152 shipments of equipment. Another 41 shipments were delivered to Ukraine thanks to cooperation with the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.
Germany is also providing support to Ukraine. Thanks to RWE Power AG, six shipments of equipment were delivered as part of the first phase of cooperation to companies in central and western Ukraine, Kyiv, and Kharkiv.
A separate initiative is currently underway with Latvia. According to Shmyhal, Ukraine is actively working to relocate equipment from the Riga CHPP-2.
“The facilities of interest to Ukrainian companies have already been identified. The amount and source of funds required to dismantle the relevant equipment have also been determined,” the First Deputy Prime Minister said.
For Ukraine, the supply of equipment from European thermal power plants is of critical importance amid Russia’s ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure. This involves not only replacing damaged components but also creating an additional reserve for the heating season, restoring generation and distribution capacity, and enhancing the resilience of regional power systems.
The practice of transferring equipment from decommissioned European power plants allows for a faster response to some of Ukraine’s energy needs, as many components are already physically available and can be adapted for use at Ukrainian facilities. At the same time, such deliveries require technical inspections, dismantling, logistics, financing, and coordination among Ukrainian companies, European operators, and government agencies.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has regularly received energy equipment from EU countries, international organizations, and private companies. This equipment is used to repair damaged power plants, substations, thermal facilities, grids, and critical infrastructure.
The Kametstal plant, part of Metinvest’s mining and metallurgical group and located at the Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (Kamenskoye, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), has carried out a major overhaul of part of its pulverized coal injection (PCI) equipment in the blast furnace to reduce energy consumption.
According to the company, the efficiency of blast furnace production at Kametstal is inextricably linked to the reliability of the PCF injection technology; therefore, to ensure the stable operation of this equipment, grinding circuit No. 2—a key stage of this year’s modernization of the PCF complex—has been overhauled.
As specified, PFC is an energy resource that serves as a highly efficient carbon component and makes it possible to drastically reduce natural gas consumption or completely eliminate it from the smelting process. Injection of PVP also makes it possible to reduce the consumption of coke and coke equivalent of standard fuel and contributes to increased productivity of blast furnaces.
The PVP section supplies fuel not only to blast furnace production but also to the rotary kilns of the lime-burning shop.
Kametstal was established on the basis of PJSC Dniprovsky Coke Chemical Plant (DKHP) and PJSC Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (DMP). It is part of the Metinvest Group.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine—in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions—as well as in European countries. The holding’s main shareholders are the SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
