According to “Serbian Economist”, the Chinese company Reliance plans to invest 100.5 million euros in the construction of a high-tech battery manufacturing plant in the Serbian city of Indija; the project is expected to create about 250 jobs, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on August 20.
According to him, the plant will produce batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous vehicles, robots, household appliances, and other devices.
“We are talking about a high-tech company, one of the world’s best in the production of batteries for drones, autonomous vehicles, robots, household appliances, and other devices,” the publication Danas quoted Vučić as saying, citing his interview with Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS).
A framework agreement with the investor is expected to be signed in late August 2026, and construction work could begin as early as late October.
Vucic clarified that Reliance was one of 14 companies with whose representatives the Serbian side held talks during his most recent trip to China.
Judging by the name and the product profile described by the president, this refers to Jiangsu Reliance New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., which operates under the Reliance Battery brand. However, the Serbian authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the full legal name of the investor in the Indija project.
According to Reliance itself, the company was founded in Changzhou, China, in November 2021 and specializes in the development and production of high-power cylindrical lithium-ion cells. It manufactures 21700 and 46-series cells based on NCA and LFP, and conducts research into semi-solid-state and solid-state batteries as well as dry-electrode technology.
The company explicitly lists drones, eVTOLs, humanoid and logistics robots, power tools, household cleaning equipment, electric motorcycles and bicycles, automobiles, backup power systems, and specialized equipment among the applications for its batteries.
Thus, if the project is implemented, India will gain another high-tech manufacturing facility related to the electrical engineering industry. The city has already established a large industrial cluster between Belgrade and Novi Sad. In particular, in April 2025, Europe’s first factory of the Japanese company JFE Shoji, worth over 50 million euros, began operations here; it manufactures motor cores for home appliances and the automotive industry.
The Toyo Tire Serbia plant also operates in Inji, and in 2026, the Japanese company began construction here on a new European research and development center worth 29 million euros.
Following the completion of construction of the first phase of its bioethanol plant with an annual capacity of 83,000 metric tons, the OKKO Group plans to build the second phase with an annual capacity of 120,000 metric tons, according to the group’s CEO, Vasyl Danyliak.
“We are first building the first phase of the plant with a capacity of 83,000 metric tons of bioethanol, and then we will expand capacity. And we want to produce 120,000 metric tons of bioethanol per year in the second phase,” Danilyak said on the Fedoriv vlog on YouTube.
He added that the group plans to consume 50% of the bioethanol it produces in the future and export the remaining 50% to European markets.
Citing the experience of bioethanol production in the U.S., he noted that the capacity of plants in that country is at least 1 million metric tons, which, he said, allows for “economies of scale.”
As reported in early July 2026, citing Vasyl Danylyak, CEO of the OKKO Group of Companies, the group had to postpone the full launch of its EUR110 million bioethanol plant from the third quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2027. Danylyak attributed this to delays in the manufacture of certain units.
He noted, however, that part of the facility—specifically, the storage area for finished products—has already been completed.
Danylyak also pointed out that the retail chain itself would not be able to consume all of the plant’s bioethanol—which has a design capacity of 83,000 metric tons—even if it were to add 10% bioethanol to gasoline on its own. At the time, he noted that the group would be able to consume up to 60% of the bioethanol production capacity.
The group planned to sell the remainder to other retail chains or export it.
Of the total investment in the plant during 2024–2026, amounting to EUR 110 million, EUR 35 million is the group’s own contribution, and EUR 75 million is debt financing. Of this amount, EUR 60 million was provided by the EBRD for a nine-year term, and another EUR 15 million by Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine for a seven-year term.
According to Danilyak, the plant’s annual capacity is 83,000 metric tons of bioethanol, 70,000 metric tons of animal feed, and 270,000 metric tons of corn processing.
OKKO Group brings together more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other sectors. The group’s flagship company is the “Galnaftogaz” concern, which operates one of Ukraine’s largest gas station networks under the “OKKO” brand, comprising approximately 400 gas stations.
The group’s founder and ultimate beneficiary is Vitaliy Antonov.
The Ukrainian leasing company Avtokredit Plus LLC, operating under the PlanetAvto brand, launched an initial offering of Series C corporate bonds totaling 100 million UAH on August 17, according to company materials and the PFTS stock exchange.
The issue consists of 100,000 registered, interest-bearing, unsecured bonds with a par value of 1,000 UAH each. The initial offering is taking place through the PFTS from August 17 to August 31, 2026. The investment company “UNIVER Capital” is acting as the organizer and underwriter.
The coupon rate for the first four interest periods is set at 24% per annum in hryvnia, with interest payments made quarterly. For subsequent periods, the prospectus provides for the possibility of setting the rate within a range of 5–35% per annum, in accordance with the terms of the issue.
The maturity date of the bonds is set for August 11, 2031. The terms of the issue also provide for mandatory periodic redemptions by the issuer, giving bondholders the opportunity to exit their investment prior to final maturity in accordance with the dates specified in the prospectus.
The company plans to use the proceeds to expand its auto finance leasing programs in Ukraine. On its website, PlanetAvto notes that 100% of the proceeds from the offering are earmarked for these purposes.
This is the company’s third corporate bond issue. In 2018, “Avtokredit Plus” issued Series A bonds worth 50 million UAH, and in 2021, Series B bonds worth 100 million UAH. According to the issuer, both previous issues were redeemed on time and in full.
As of the end of 2025, Avtokredit Plus’s equity stood at 74.9 million UAH, total assets at 132.2 million UAH, and net income at 4.3 million UAH.
Following the completion of the initial public offering and the registration of the issuance report with the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, the company plans to list the bonds on the secondary market.
“Autocredit Plus” was registered in Dnipro in 2006 and specializes in financial leasing, the sale, and financing of automobiles. The company’s primary business activity is financial leasing.
According to Experts Club, 180 active jewelry companies in Ukraine list foreign nationals as ultimate beneficiaries, with owners from Israel, Turkey, and Russia being the most common, according to data from Opendatabot published on August 17, 2026.
Israeli citizens are listed among the beneficiaries of 22 jewelry companies, Turkish citizens of 20, and Russian citizens of 19. Foreign business owners also include citizens of Georgia, the United States, Uzbekistan, Switzerland, China, and other countries.
However, a single company may have multiple ultimate beneficiaries with citizenship in different countries, so these figures cannot be added together to determine the total number of companies.
Separately, Opendatabot analyzed companies with Russian beneficiaries. Of the 19 active companies where Russian citizens are listed among the owners, only one reported revenue over the past two years—the Bila Tserkva Jewelry Factory.
At the same time, its most recent reported revenue amounted to only 10,900 UAH for 2023.
Among all jewelry companies with foreign beneficial owners, only 32 enterprises submitted financial statements for 2025.
Specifically, 11 companies with Israeli owners submitted reports, five with U.S. beneficiaries, four with Swiss beneficiaries, and two each with owners from Turkey and China.
As of the end of July 2026, a total of 1,282 jewelry companies were registered in Ukraine. Thus, foreign beneficiaries are present in approximately 14% of the industry’s legal entities—this figure is based on the findings of the Experts Club analytical center and an analysis of data published by Opendatabot.
Together with sole proprietorships, there are currently 7,865 businesses operating in the country’s jewelry sector. At the same time, legal entities are showing more stable growth: their number has been increasing for five consecutive years, and in 2025, the number of new companies exceeded the number of closed ones by 54.
Finland is supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine’s war-torn energy sector by allocating 28.5 million euros from its development cooperation funds.
According to a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total cost of the power plant technology is 46.5 million euros, with Ukraine financing the remainder of the project on its own.
Wärtsilä Finland Oy was selected as the supplier. The power plants will be manufactured in Vaasa, which will also contribute to job creation, the development of expertise, and exports in Finland.
The Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrnafta is purchasing these power plants to ensure energy production in the country. Reliable energy production is of vital importance, especially during the winter months, when Russian attacks on energy infrastructure complicate daily life in Ukraine.
According to Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio, this project combines Finland’s support for Ukraine with the advantages of Finnish technology.
“Finland possesses world-class expertise in the energy sector, which can be of great help to Ukraine in its recovery efforts. I am pleased that Finnish technology and Finnish workers are contributing to strengthening the security of Ukraine’s energy supply. At the same time, this project promotes Finnish exports and employment,” Minister Tavio noted.
Finland’s funding for the project is provided through the Finnish-Ukrainian Investment Fund (FUIF). The FUIF’s goal is to support public investments in Ukraine using Finnish technology, expertise, and services. Finland’s financial resources will be used to cover the interest expenses and principal amount of the investment loan that Ukraine will receive. Finvera is providing a 100% export guarantee for this loan.
ARS Capital, the holding company of businessman Maxim Krippa, has acquired 100% of Age Management System, which works on projects in the health tech and biotech sectors, the company’s press office told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“This is a long-term investment in the technology and medical ecosystem that will help people maintain their quality of life, mental health, energy, and productivity for longer. We want modern preventive medicine technologies to gradually become accessible to every Ukrainian,” commented Maxim Krippa, CEO of ARS Capital.
Age Management System, founded by Yevhen Shagov, a physician and candidate of medical sciences, specializes in preventive medicine, personalized health management, and age management, and is developing as an ecosystem that integrates clinical, educational, and technological areas. Its flagship product, AM System, provides long-term medical support: comprehensive diagnostics, consultations with specialized experts, management of metabolic and hormonal indicators, personalized health support programs, IV therapy, and biotechnological and hardware solutions.
The investment in Age Management System is a continuation of ARS Capital’s strategy to expand its portfolio in the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Full control over the business allows the holding company to formulate a long-term development strategy for the company and scale its ecosystem.
ARS Capital identifies fostering a culture of preventive medicine as one of its promising areas of focus—a culture in which health care begins long before the onset of disease and becomes part of one’s lifestyle. Mental health support and assistance for individuals who have survived the traumatic experience of war will also be an important component of Age Management
System. In particular, the company is considering the development of programs aimed at providing professional assistance and rehabilitation for people with PTSD.
The holding company also plans to strengthen the Age Management System’s technological infrastructure and implement modern hardware solutions.
AM System was founded as one of Ukraine’s first specialized clinics in the field of age management. When creating the project, the team drew on international experience in preventive medicine, particularly practices in Japan, Europe, and the United States.
According to YouControl data, the authorized capital of JSC “ZNVKIF ‘Age Management Ecosystems’” amounts to 107.5 million UAH; On March 12, Krippa bought out Marina Shagova’s stake after she exited the fund; Maxim Krippa and Yevgen Shagov previously held equal 50% stakes in the fund. Now, the ARS Capital holding company has consolidated 100% of the business, and Yevgen Shagov serves as the company’s CEO.
