Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

EBRD is providing Kyiv with 150 mln euros to purchase new subway cars

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing the city of Kyiv with a loan of 150 million euros to purchase new energy-efficient subway cars, spare parts, and maintenance and diagnostic equipment for the Kyiv Metro municipal enterprise, the bank’s press office announced on Wednesday.

The loan is backed by a partial guarantee from Spain and supplemented by grant funding from the bank’s internal resources.

“The new subway cars are expected to be up to 25% more energy-efficient than the outdated cars they will replace, ensuring a more environmentally friendly, safer, and more reliable subway service,” the statement said.

In addition to the purchase of rolling stock, the EBRD will fund an audit of the metro’s accessibility to develop an action plan for inclusive transportation throughout Kyiv, tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, veterans, elderly passengers, and parents with children. The bank will also support a three-year training program for female electric train drivers in partnership with UN Women’s “She Drives” initiative to address the labor shortage.

In total, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the EBRD has allocated nearly 11 billion euros to support Ukraine’s real economy.

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11th “Spanish Cinema Line” Festival is taking place in Kyiv with support of Spanish Embassy

On September 24, the 11th “Spanish Cinema Line” Festival kicked off at the “Zhovten” movie theater in Kyiv; it will run through September 30 and feature five notable Spanish films from recent years.
The festival is supported by the Spanish Embassy in Ukraine and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), in collaboration with the film company “Arthouse Traffic.” Information about the participation of the Spanish Embassy and AECID is also featured on the festival’s official poster.
The organizers note that the project aims to introduce Ukrainian audiences to contemporary Spanish cinema.
The festival opened on September 24 with a screening of “Bitter Christmas” (Amarga Navidad), the new film by two-time Oscar winner Pedro Almodóvar. The film blends drama and comedy and tells the story of an artist experiencing a creative crisis who draws on events from his own life and the lives of his loved ones for his screenplay. The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Soundtrack, and was also included in the program of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The “Lines of Spanish Cinema” program also includes the crime comedy *Who’s Pulling the String* by Arancha Echevarría, the drama *Black Bullet* by the directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrosi, the animated film *Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake* by Irene Iborra, and the drama *Sirat* by Oliver Lasche.
“Who’s Pulling the String,” scheduled for screening on September 25 and 29, tells the story of a former talent show contestant who, due to financial problems, agrees to take part in the theft of a valuable painting. The film was part of the official program of the Málaga Film Festival.
On September 26, the “October” cinema will host a special screening of “The Black Bullet”—a story linked to the figure of Federico García Lorca and the writer’s unfinished manuscript. The film was directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrosi.
Two screenings are scheduled for September 27. The family animated film *Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake* tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who, along with her younger brother and mother, is forced to leave her home. To help her brother cope with fear and uncertainty, Olivia transforms their new reality into an imaginary “movie shoot.” The film will be screened with a Ukrainian dub.

On the same day, audiences will be treated to Oliver Lasche’s “Sirat”—one of the most notable recent Spanish festival films, produced in collaboration with Pedro and Agustina Almodóvar.
According to the current schedule, repeat screenings of “Bitter Christmas” will take place on September 28 and 30, and “Who’s Playing Whom” on September 29. All major feature films are shown in their original language with Ukrainian subtitles.
After Kyiv, the festival will continue in Lviv: from October 12 to 16, screenings will take place at the “Planeta Kino” cinema in the Forum Lviv shopping and entertainment center.
“Spanish Cinema Line” is being held in Ukraine for the eleventh time and is one of the cultural projects aimed at introducing contemporary Spanish culture to Ukrainian audiences.

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New Book.ua bookstore in Podil has begun operating in test mode

The Book.ua bookstore chain has opened a new location in Kyiv at 5 Spaska Street; the bookstore in Podil is currently operating in test mode, the company’s press office reported.

“We’re getting to know the new location, fine-tuning all our processes, and preparing for the official opening. But we don’t want to wait for the ‘perfect moment.’ The books are already on the shelves, the coffee is brewing, the team is on site—and we really want to finally see you here,” the chain noted on Facebook.

As previously reported, a Russian attack on August 28 destroyed the warehouse shared by Readeat, Book.ua, and a number of publishers in Sviatopetrivskyi, from which books were shipped throughout Ukraine.

Book.ua has been operating since 2023 and runs an online bookstore as well as bookstore-cafés: seven in Kyiv and one in Khmelnytskyi.

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Professional gathering of developers and architects, “METRONOM,” will take place in Kyiv on September 30

On September 30, Kyiv will host the professional gathering “METRONOM. Kyiv,” dedicated to collaboration between developers and architects and the creation of added value in real estate projects. The event is organized by the DMNTR media group.

The meeting will take place from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at 2 Knyaziv Ostrozkykh Street, near the “Arsenalska” metro station.

“METRONOM. Kyiv” is designed for a professional audience of up to 200 participants, including investors, developers, architects, manufacturers of building materials, and representatives of the real estate market.

The business program will be centered around three practical case studies. Teams of developers and architects will present real-world projects entering the market and demonstrate how collaboration between the client and the architect is structured, which decisions influence a property’s value, and how the architectural concept is integrated into the development model.

Among the event’s headliners are representatives from A Development, AVG Group, and A. Pashenko Architects: Oleksiy Baranov, Yulia Polyukhovich, Andriy Pashenko, and Andriy Voitko.

The second case study will be presented by SAGA Development and BGV Development—Andriy Vavrysh, Anna Viken, Yevhen Binyavskyi, and Serhiy Zalevskyi.

The third case study will feature representatives from “Creator-Bud” and AIMM—Igor Guda, Maxim Myatko, Dmytro Struk, Yulia Dementyeva, and Lyudmila Chumak.

Registration for participants will begin at 4:00 p.m. The business session, featuring presentations of the three case studies, will run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Following that, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., there will be an informal program featuring jazz, a buffet, and networking.

The organizers are offering three participation options. A standard ticket costs 2,500 UAH and includes participation in the business session, a cocktail reception, and networking.

A premium ticket, priced at 5,000 UAH, includes priority registration, seats in the premium section, an extended evening program featuring a buffet, a cigar ceremony, and a whiskey tasting, as well as a separate networking session.

Online participation costs 1,500 UAH and includes access to the live stream of the event’s business program from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

Seating is limited. Participation in the event and access to the online stream are available only after prior registration and payment.

Registration: DMNTR Media Group, tel. 077 777 25 47, 044 461 91 28.

Registration and ticket purchase form.

Open4business – information partner

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Kyiv region overtook Kyiv in new housing construction volumes in the first half of the year

Kyiv region became the largest among the regional new housing construction markets specified by the State Statistics Service in January-June 2026, with 599.3 thousand sq. m, while 437.9 thousand sq. m were declared in Kyiv.

According to the Experts Club information and analytical center, around 9.1 thousand apartments were declared at the construction commencement stage in Kyiv region. In annual terms, the area of new construction remained virtually unchanged, decreasing by only 0.3%.

In Kyiv, the area of declared new housing decreased by 10.7% — to 437.9 thousand sq. m.

At the same time, the statistics on the number of apartments in the capital look unusual: the State Statistics Service indicates around 1.4 thousand declared apartments despite the significant total area. This may be related to the structure of specific projects and the specifics of the published data.

Lviv region became the third major market, where 501.5 thousand sq. m of housing and around 7.2 thousand apartments were declared in the first half of the year.

In Ivano-Frankivsk region, the area of new construction amounted to 248.4 thousand sq. m, decreasing by 20.5% year on year. At the same time, around 5.8 thousand apartments were declared.

In Odesa region, the figure reached 328.7 thousand sq. m and around 1.1 thousand apartments, but the State Statistics Service does not disclose comparable figures for the previous year.

Thus, in terms of the volume of declared new construction, the largest markets continue to be concentrated around Kyiv and the western regions of the country.

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Largest volumes of new housing concentrated around Kyiv and in western Ukraine

The Kyiv region became the largest among the regional markets for new residential construction listed by the State Statistics Service in January–June 2026, with a figure of 599,300 square meters, while 437,900 square meters were reported in Kyiv, according to Experts.news.

In the Kyiv region, approximately 9,100 apartments were registered at the start of construction. On an annual basis, the area of new construction remained virtually unchanged, decreasing by only 0.3%.

In Kyiv, the area of registered new housing decreased by 10.7%—to 437,900 square meters.

At the same time, the statistics on the number of apartments in the capital appear unusual: the State Statistics Service reports approximately 1,400 registered apartments despite a significant total area. This may be related to the structure of specific projects and the characteristics of the published data.

The Lviv region became the third-largest market, where 501,500 square meters of housing and approximately 7,200 apartments were announced in the first half of the year.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the area of new construction totaled 248,400 square meters, down 20.5% year-over-year. At the same time, approximately 5,800 apartments were registered.

In the Odesa region, the figure reached 328.7 thousand square meters and approximately 1,100 apartments; however, the State Statistics Service has not disclosed comparable figures for the previous year.

Thus, in terms of the volume of announced new construction, the largest markets continue to be concentrated around Kyiv and the western regions of the country.

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