Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Traffic accidents caused by poor road conditions in Ukraine have dropped by nearly third

According to the Patrol Police Department, over 330 traffic accidents caused by poor road conditions were recorded in Ukraine in 2025. This is nearly a third fewer than in 2024. The highest number of such accidents was recorded in Lviv, Kyiv, and Ternopil regions.

Last year, police in Ukraine recorded 332 traffic accidents caused by poor road conditions. This is a third fewer than in 2024, when a record number of 475 accidents was recorded since the start of the full-scale conflict. For comparison, the previous record was in 2021: at that time, 849 traffic accidents occurred due to poor road conditions.

The highest number of such accidents is traditionally recorded in the Lviv region—72 traffic accidents. At the same time, the situation here has improved: over the year, the number of such cases decreased by 31%, and compared to 2021—by more than half.

Kyiv consistently holds second place—63 traffic accidents due to violations of road and street maintenance regulations. Unlike Lviv Oblast, the situation here has worsened slightly: compared to 2024, the number of such accidents increased by 17%. At the same time, the figure is still significantly lower than before the full-scale invasion.

Rounding out this year’s bottom three is Ternopil Oblast, where police recorded 29 accidents due to poor road conditions. Over the year, the number of accidents here has increased by 16%. In total, these three regions account for half of all such accidents.

What to do in the event of an accident caused by poor road conditions?

If your car is damaged due to a pothole or poor road conditions, the most important thing is to properly document the accident and gather evidence. First, you need to stop, turn on your hazard lights, set up a warning triangle, and call the police.

While the police are on their way, you should document everything yourself as much as possible: take photos and videos of the pothole, the damage to the car, and any road signs or their absence. It is also advisable to find witnesses and record their contact information.

The police must inspect the accident scene, draw up a diagram of the accident, and record all circumstances in the report. It is important that the documents specifically mention the poor condition of the road. Law enforcement officers must also determine which agency is responsible for that section of the road and issue a report against the responsible officials under Article 140 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

After that, the driver needs to assess the damages. To do this, they should contact an independent appraiser, who will prepare an official report on the cost of repairs and the amount of damages incurred.

Next, the collected documents—the police report, photos, videos, and the appraiser’s conclusion—must be sent to the organization responsible for road maintenance, with a demand for compensation for the damages. If compensation is not provided voluntarily, the driver may file a lawsuit.

At the same time, it is important that the driver does not violate traffic rules themselves. If the police determine that the accident occurred due to speeding or inattention, the driver may be issued a citation, and the court may fine them or even temporarily revoke their driver’s license.

https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/dtp-bad-roads-2026

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Italy Will Provide Additional Funding for Ukraine’s Energy Sector Reconstruction

On May 21, Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Carlo Formosa and Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, signed an agreement on a new contribution from Italy in the amount of EUR 10 million for repair and reconstruction work in Ukraine’s energy sector.

This was announced by Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Denys Shmyhal following a meeting with Lorkovsky and partners on a Telegram channel on Thursday.

“Prior to this, Italy had already contributed EUR13 million to the Energy Support Fund. We are grateful to Italy,” he noted.

According to Shmyhal, the parties paid special attention to mechanisms for attracting additional contributions to Ukraine’s Energy Support Fund as a tool for strengthening energy resilience.

“We also discussed opportunities for international businesses to invest in Ukraine’s energy sector. “The launch of updated auctions for the construction of new power generation capacity in Ukraine is an important signal to the market; we can more broadly attract international investors to the development of new capacity,” he said.

Ukraine is also preparing to present these and other opportunities at the URC conference in Gdańsk in June.

“We agreed to jointly develop mechanisms for mitigating and insuring against military risks for such investments,” the First Deputy Prime Minister added.

As reported, as of the end of April, Ukraine’s foreign partners had announced additional contributions to the Energy Support Fund totaling approximately EUR 100 million.

In total, as of early April, the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine had received grant funds totaling nearly EUR 1.854 billion from 37 foreign sponsors from 26 partner countries and three international organizations.

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Future of Ukrainian Cinema and Collaboration with Global Studios Discussed in Cannes

According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, a panel discussion titled “The Ukrainian Film Industry: Sustainability, Distribution, and International Opportunities,“ dedicated to the development of the Ukrainian film market during the war, international distribution, and prospects for cooperation with the global film industry, the State Film Agency reports on its Facebook page.

”Despite the war, Ukrainian audiences continue to return to movie theaters and support local cinema. This creates not only cultural resilience but also a real market for Ukrainian cinema,” noted Andriy Nogin.

According to the NGO “UkrKinoFest,” participants in the discussion included Andriy Osipov, head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema; Nataliia Movshovych, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine; Andriy Nogin, General Producer of UnitedContentHUB and Head of the NGO “UkrKinoFest”; Kateryna Nahorna, International Sales Manager at FILM.UA Group; Valeria Sochivets, Co-founder of “Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema”; and Serhiy Lavrenyuk, General Producer at Solar Media Entertainment. The discussion was moderated by director and producer Ksenia Bugrimova.

During the discussion, participants discussed the state of Ukrainian commercial and auteur cinema, changes in audience preferences amid the war, new international distribution models, and the integration of the Ukrainian film industry into the global market.

In particular, Kateryna Nahorna presented the “Local for Local” international distribution model for Ukrainian-language releases abroad, targeting Ukrainian audiences outside the country. Case studies included “Mavka: The Forest Song,” the franchise “The Christmas Express / December 31st Express,” and the film “Mavka: The True Myth.”

“The Local for Local model demonstrates that Ukrainian cinema today has a global Ukrainian-speaking audience that can exist outside the bounds of traditional distribution,” Nagorna emphasized.

Valeria Sochivets highlighted the importance of supporting Ukrainian auteur cinema and the role of international festivals in maintaining the visibility of Ukrainian stories around the world. She also cited the example of the film “La Palissade” by director Philip Sotnychenko, which was presented at a number of international festivals.

Serhiy Lavrenyuk spoke about his experience collaborating with international studios, notably Lionsgate, and Ukraine’s potential as a creative and production partner for the global market.

“For major international companies, Ukraine today is not only a source of compelling stories but also a creative industry partner with talent, experience, and strong production capabilities,” Lavrenyuk noted.

The panel discussion was part of a series of industry events at the Ukrainian Pavilion in Cannes. The pavilion was organized by the NGO “UkrKinoFest” with the support of the Ukrainian State Film Agency.

As reported, the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival discussed the promotion of Ukrainian cinema at international festivals. Also, Ukraine opened a national pavilion at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.

In addition, Ukraine and Lithuania signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of cinema during the Cannes Film Festival.

https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1169392.html

 

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Serbia Awaits Confirmation of Ukraine’s Participation in Expo 2027 in Belgrade – President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Serbia hopes that Ukraine will confirm its participation in the specialized exhibition Expo 2027 Belgrade following the visit of a Ukrainian government-business delegation to Serbia, said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The invitation is open, and we respect the motives of each individual country, but we sincerely hope that following the visit of the Ukrainian government-business delegation to Serbia, Ukraine will become the next, 138th country to confirm its participation in Expo 2027 Belgrade,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to Chadezh, participation in the exhibition would be beneficial for the Ukrainian economy, as it opens opportunities to showcase the potential of Ukrainian companies and technological capabilities, strengthen bilateral government and business relations, and foster contacts with international partners.

“EXPO 2027 will be not only an exhibition but also a global platform for bringing together countries, companies, investors, and new ideas for development. Therefore, I believe that Ukraine’s presence would be important, especially in the context of the country’s recovery, attracting investment, and establishing new partnerships with the international business community,” emphasized the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

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Serbian Companies Are Interested in Participating in Ukraine’s Reconstruction – President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Serbian companies are interested and have the potential to participate in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, particularly in transportation infrastructure, energy, residential construction, and industrial facilities, said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Once the war ends, Ukraine will become Europe’s largest construction site, and Serbian companies are interested and have the potential to participate in the restoration of transport infrastructure, energy and residential facilities, as well as industrial enterprises,” Čadež said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, the potential for cooperation includes construction companies, manufacturers of building materials, manufacturers of transformers for the energy sector, manufacturers of agricultural machinery, as well as companies that possess technologies for the restoration and modernization of industry.

Čadež noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has already expressed Serbia’s readiness to participate in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction—specifically in rebuilding one or two cities or a small region.

“Through contacts with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbian entrepreneurs are already expressing their readiness to contribute by supplying their products, for example, to meet the needs of the energy sector,” noted the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1169380.html

 

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Trade between Serbia and Ukraine has returned to pre-war levels

According to Serbian Economist, trade turnover between Serbia and Ukraine in 2025 returned to the level of the last pre-war year, 2021, and amounted to $442.2 million, said Marko Čadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

According to him, despite the initial shock following the outbreak of the war, mutual trade did not cease. In the first year of the war, it fell by 25%—to $339 million—but then began to gradually recover and can now be considered stable.

Serbian exports to Ukraine in 2025 amounted to $202.9 million, while imports from Ukraine totaled $239.3 million. About 900 Serbian companies continue to do business with Ukraine, 670 of which import Ukrainian goods.

“In the first quarter of this year, the growth trend continued—Serbian exports to Ukraine doubled compared to the same period last year, while Ukrainian exports to Serbia grew by 4.5%,” said Čadež.

The president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that the pandemic, followed by the war, demonstrated the high interdependence of the two economies. This is particularly true for supplies of Ukrainian raw materials and intermediate products for Serbian industry. According to Čadež, prior to the war, such supplies accounted for about 70% of Serbian imports from Ukraine.

Among the key Ukrainian goods for Serbia, he cited iron ore, coal, aluminum wire, and cellulose. Supply disruptions after February 2022 created problems for a number of Serbian industries, particularly metallurgy.

Serbian-Ukrainian trade continues to be dominated by raw materials, industrial products, and goods for the processing industry. Ukraine purchases mineral and chemical fertilizers, PVC flooring, paper and cardboard, automobile tires, as well as detergents and cleaning products from Serbia.

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