Ukrsibbank (Kyiv) plans to increase its loan portfolio in the small and medium-sized business (SME) segment by more than 2.5 times in 2026, according to Vladimir Shevchenko, head of the retail sales department.
“Last year, we increased our loan portfolio in the SME segment by almost 3 times,” Shevchenko said during the presentation of the results of the European Business Association (EBA) study “Small Business Sentiment Index” 2026.
Commenting on the study data, according to which only 12% of entrepreneurs consider lending as a source of financing, Shevchenko noted that this figure is low compared to developed countries, but at the same time indicates the potential for growth after the end of the war.
“For me, this 12% is like a glass that is half full and half empty.
On the one hand, it is very little, but on the other, it is the potential that awaits us after victory,” he added.
The main barrier to more active lending to small businesses remains entrepreneurs’ uncertainty about the future, while banks do not have a shortage of liquidity or credit appetite.
Shevchenko added that banks are adapting their processes to SME requests for quick access to financing, in particular by reducing decision-making time and trying to use information from open sources to offer customers almost ready-made solutions.
The greatest demand for lending in the SME segment comes from the retail trade (financing of working capital and covering cash gaps), while enterprises in the agricultural sector, manufacturing, and logistics also actively need loans.
“Among the key requirements of small businesses for banks, in addition to the cost of lending, the speed and convenience of financing approval are becoming increasingly important, as customers are not willing to wait one or two months for a loan decision,” Shevchenko emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that a significant increase in the share of entrepreneurs who consider loans as a source of financing should not be expected before the end of the war.
Ukrsibbank is owned by BNP Paribas (France) — 60% and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) — 40%.
According to the regulator, as of January 1, 2026, the bank ranked 8th (UAH 186.48 billion) among 60 banks in Ukraine in terms of net assets, with a net profit of UAH 5.8 billion for 2025.
The bank’s net loan portfolio in 2025 increased by 73.9% to UAH 17.29 billion.
State-owned Ukrgasbank has signed a new guarantee agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) under the EU4Business Guarantee Facility Ukraine program, which is expected to provide more than €31 million in financing to Ukrainian businesses, the financial institution said on Thursday.
“By working with strong local partners such as Ukrgasbank, the EIB Group is helping to ensure that Ukrainian businesses have access to vital financing when they need it most,” said EIB Vice President Teresa Czerwinska.
The bank specified that the support extends not only to small and medium-sized businesses, but also to labor-intensive enterprises with up to 500 employees. Priority will be given to companies owned or managed by veterans, internally displaced persons, women, or entrepreneurs under the age of 36, as well as businesses in regions most affected by the war.
According to the announcement, the guarantee mechanism will cover 30-80% of the credit risk for individual transactions and will apply to investment loans, working capital financing, and documentary transactions, including bank guarantees and letters of credit. Financing is provided for a term of 6 to 84 months in hryvnia, euros, or US dollars, in particular with reduced collateral requirements.
The financing was made possible with the support of the European Union under the Ukraine Facility program.
As reported, in terms of the number of loans serviced as of December 1, 2025, under state guarantees on a portfolio basis, Ukrgasbank ranks third with over 1,000 loans worth UAH 10.4 billion, or 69% of the limit of such guarantees provided to the bank.
Ukrgasbank is the fifth largest bank in Ukraine in terms of assets: according to the National Bank, as of December 1, 2025, they amounted to UAH 208.24 billion.
Dniprometiz-TAS LLC (Dnipro), owned by Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Tihipko, intends to conclude an additional loan agreement with Ukreximbank (Kyiv) to open a non-revolving credit line with a limit of EUR 2.020 million (equivalent to UAH 99,934,450 thousand) for a term of 36 months.
According to the company’s report in the information disclosure system of the National Commission for the Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NCCPE), the general meeting of participants of Dniprometiz-TAS LLC on December 22, 2025, decided to grant consent for the company to perform legal acts which collectively meet the criteria of a significant transaction, namely, the conclusion with JSC Ukreximbank, within the framework of general loan agreement No. 25-63KG0010 dated September 25, 2025, of an additional agreement for EUR 2.02 million.
In addition, the meeting participants agreed to conclude an agreement on the pledge of the company’s movable property (47 units of equipment with a market value of UAH 58,708,300) as collateral for the performance of obligations under general loan agreement No. 25-63KG0010.
It is specified that the meeting was attended by company participants who collectively hold 100% of the votes and have the right to vote on all items on the agenda. 100% of all company participants voted in favor of the decision.
As reported, the general meeting of participants of Dniprometiz-TAS LLC on September 4, 2025, decided to approve the conclusion of a general loan agreement with JSC Ukreximbank with a credit transaction limit equivalent to UAH 600 million.
According to the results of January-September of this year, Dniprometiz-TAS LLC reduced its net profit by 2.9% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 11.727 million. At the same time, the company’s undistributed profit at the end of September amounted to UAH 274.763 million.
In 2024, Dniprometiz-TAS increased its net profit by 47.7% compared to 2023, to UAH 14.197 million from UAH 9.610 million, while net income increased by 22.7%, to UAH 3 billion 285.688 million. At the same time, the company’s undistributed profit at the end of 2024 amounted to UAH 263.048 million.
According to the results of 2023, Dniprometiz reduced its net profit by 2.6 times compared to 2022 – to UAH 9.658 million from UAH 24.733 million. Over the past year, net income increased by 8.2% – to UAH 2 billion 677.836 million.
According to the results of 2022, Dniprometiz reduced its net profit sixfold compared to the previous year, to UAH 25.572 million, while net income increased by 1.1%, to UAH 2 billion 474.397 million.
Dniprometiz-TAS manufactures metal products from low-carbon steels. The company’s capacity is 120,000 tons of products per year.
T.A.S. Overseas Investments Limited (Cyprus) owns a 98.6578% stake in Dniprometiz LLC.
The authorized capital of Dniprometiz-TAS LLC is UAH 83.480 million.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided Credit Agricole Bank (Kyiv) with a new guarantee that will enable the financial institution to issue loans to Ukrainian enterprises in the amount of EUR 150 million and cover up to 80% of the risk on them.
“We have a long-standing partnership with the EBRD and share a common vision of investing in resilience and sustainable development. Together, we are helping businesses recover, strengthen, and reduce their dependence on external risks, which is fully in line with our AIR strategy: Aim is to Invest in Recovery,” said Carlos de Cordoba, Chairman of the Board of Credit Agricole Bank, in a press release on Tuesday.
Under the terms of the program, Credit Agricole Bank will provide EUR 150 million to companies operating in critical sectors, as well as SMEs and mid-cap companies investing in energy production and storage, energy efficiency, and modernization.
As noted on the EBRD website, the project is divided into three components: the Resilience and Livelihoods Program, the Energy Security Support Facility, and the EU4Business–EBRD credit line with investment incentives.
The largest share of the portfolio coverage – up to EUR 80 million – is intended to finance working capital and private business investments in key sectors. EUR 40 million is earmarked for power generation, energy storage, and energy efficiency, and EUR 30 million for the modernization of MSMEs in line with EU standards, of which at least 70% must support green projects. This block provides for technical assistance and grant incentives after the completion of investments.
Eligible enterprises will also be able to receive technical assistance and investment incentives funded by the EU under the EU4Business initiative. Additional grants are provided for businesses and households that have suffered destruction, loss of assets, forced displacement, as well as for companies that promote the reintegration of veterans, persons with disabilities, and IDPs.
It is noted that this is already the third agreement on portfolio risk sharing between the EBRD and Credit Agricole Bank since the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.
The EBRD has previously allocated EUR 75.4 million in EU grants to Ukrainian MSMEs under the EU4Business-EBRD line, of which EUR 2.25 million was allocated to projects involving Credit Agricole Bank.
According to the EBRD, since the start of the full-scale invasion, the bank has provided Ukrainian borrowers with approximately EUR 3.29 billion through 40 similar agreements with 12 partners. The loan programs are supported by partial coverage of first-loss risk, which is financed by France and the EU under the Investment Facility for Ukraine (UIF).
Credit Agricole Bank was founded in 1993, and its sole shareholder is Credit Agricole S.A. (France). According to the NBU, as of October 1, 2025, the bank ranked 11th (UAH 116.26 billion) among 60 banks in Ukraine in terms of assets.
Banks in Ukraine in September 2025 issued 851 mortgage loans worth UAH 1.62 billion, which is 13.1% more than in August, when 789 loans worth UAH 1.43 billion were issued, according to the results of the monthly survey of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“The quality of the mortgage portfolio remains high: the share of non-performing loans is kept at 12%,” the National Bank commented on the results.
According to the central bank, compared to September 2024, the volume of loans issued increased by 35.4%.
As specified by the NBU, among the 39 banks surveyed, together forming more than 95% of the gross mortgage portfolio, in September new loans were issued by 14 financial institutions.
Most transactions were concluded in the primary housing market: 532 in September for the amount of UAH 1 billion against 480 in August for the amount of UAH 0.89 billion.
In the secondary housing market, 319 transactions were concluded for UAH 0.62 billion, while in August – 309 transactions totaling UAH 0.54 billion.
The weighted average effective rate in the primary market in September remained at the level of 8.13% per annum, while in the secondary market it increased to 9.37% from 8.99% in August.
The survey data show that the most loans in September were issued in Kyiv and Kyiv region – 458 for UAH 949 mln (58.6% of the total volume). Next come Lviv region – 46 for UAH 95 million, Ivano-Frankivsk region – 53 loans for UAH 90 million and Volyn region – 35 for UAH 61 million.
As reported, the National Bank on July 18 this year released a strategy for the development of mortgage lending. The document prioritizes risk reduction through the launch of mass insurance of war risks and updating the rules in the field of housing construction.
The strategy also provides for easier access to mortgages through modernization of state support mechanisms and increased transparency of information in accordance with EU requirements, as well as strengthening the protection of creditors’ rights by updating procedures for dealing with bad debts.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a risk-sharing guarantee without pre-financing to the state-owned Ukreximbank in order to expand financing and provide new loans to Ukrainian businesses in the amount of EUR100 million.
As stated on the EBRD website, whose board of directors approved the relevant project on September 9, it will cover up to 50% of the credit risk.
According to the published information, the guarantee will be provided in two equal tranches, with the second tranche currently without obligations.
It is noted that up to EUR 20 million of sub-loans with risk sharing will be directed to finance long-term investments by SMEs under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line with incentives, which will allow financing long-term capital investments by SMEs to upgrade their technologies and equipment to EU standards, including investments in sustainable and green technologies (at least 70% of the sub-limit).
Eligible sub-borrowers will also receive EU-funded technical assistance and grant support in the form of investment incentives upon completion of their investment projects.
Ukreximbank is the third largest bank in Ukraine in terms of total assets as of mid-year – UAH 318.6 billion (8.3% of the system’s total assets).
