Business of Kyiv Region and Ukraine

Business

"Baikal" was postponed three times — now Russia's Vice PM called the project a dead end, while Finance Ministry allocated another 12 billion rubles

# Light Aircraft LMS-901 "Baikal" Delayed Again — Now Until 2027 The LMS-901 "Baikal" light-engine aircraft, intended to replace the Soviet-era An-2, has been postponed once again — this time until 2027, and only for cargo and technical use. However, the real problem runs deeper: in February 2025, "dramatic design errors" came to light.

Business

"58 Tickets to a Non-Existent Booth: Director of Carpathian Forestry Enterprise Faces Court for Destruction of 18,000 Trees"

The Specialized Environmental Prosecution has referred a case to court against Vitaliy Pavlov, director of Slavsk Forestry Enterprise "Galsillis": the investigation alleges that he issued permits for a type of timber harvesting that does not exist in Ukrainian legislation for years, causing damages exceeding 103 million hryvnias.

Business

€350 million suspended: MHP leaves Sisak after environmental audit and protests by thousands of Croatians

A vertically integrated poultry farming project in Croatia has been frozen — the environmental assessment failed, and the community took to the streets. MHP is reorienting toward Slovenia and Spain.

Business

France Stripped Three Hotels of Palace Status — and for the First Time Showed That This Title Is Not Permanent

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Mandarin Oriental Paris, and Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz have lost France's most prestigious hotel status. Behind the elegant decision lies a concrete reason: the hotels failed to renovate while competitors were redefining luxury.

Business

Six manufacturers, 16% savings, tens of thousands of surplus shells — how competition changed the largest 155mm procurement

The Defense Procurement Agency signed record contracts for long-range 155mm shells: a competitive tender saved billions of hryvnias and made it possible to purchase more ammunition than originally planned.

Business

Thousand applications per day: How Oreshnik attack on Kyiv looks in numbers

On the night of May 24, Russia delivered one of its most powerful strikes on the capital since the beginning of 2025—using "Oreshnik" missiles, hundreds of drones, and various types of rockets. The scale of destruction is now measured not only by casualties but also by another wave of applications for state compensation.

Business

Oura files for IPO in US — Finnish company valued at $11 billion, but investors will see figures only after SEC review

Oura, the smart ring manufacturer, has confidentially filed its S-1 prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2025, the company doubled its revenue to $1 billion and sold nearly 3 million rings — however, the stock price and number of shares remain undisclosed.

Business

Found Oil — Left with Debt: How Brazilian Law Turned a Farmer into a Victim of His Own Discovery

A 63-year-old Sidônio Moreira drilled a well searching for water and found crude oil instead — and continues paying off a 25,000 real loan because under Brazilian law, mineral deposits belong to the state, not the landowner.

Business

First Bronze in History — and Straight to the Conference League: What Polissia's Season Means for Ukrainian Football

The Zhytomyr club, founded in 2014, finished in the top-3 of the UPL for the first time and has already twice qualified for the Conference League. This is no coincidence — it is a new benchmark for clubs outside the "big two."

Business

Third strike in a year: Omega warehouse in Chaiky caught fire across 10,000 square meters

On the night of May 24, a Russian attack destroyed the Kyiv distribution center "FIM" — a key logistics hub of the Omega company. This is already the third strike against the infrastructure of one of Ukraine's largest auto parts distributors over the past year.

Business

Temporary Structure Becomes "Real Estate" — Court Returns 0.2 Hectares of Murometс Nature Reserve Island

Bicycle shop VeloHub Muromets, covering 905 square meters, stands on land that cannot be built on or sold under the law. The court ordered its demolition — but according to a scheme that has been used on other plots in Kyiv.

Business

Registrar Without a Building and Permits: How a City Council Official Tried to Seize Defense Plant Land Using Forged Technical Passports

# Translation In February 2022, the head of the registration department of one of the city councils in Ternopil region registered ownership of non-existent construction objects — as a result, lands of a state defense enterprise worth 15.7 million hryvnias almost transferred to private structures. The investigation lasted for years, and the scheme turned out to be simple: fake documents plus one registrar's signature.

Business

620 Planes Without Collateral: How Ryanair Repaid Its COVID-Crisis Debt and What It Means for Competitors

# Irish Low-Cost Airline Redeems €1.2 Billion Bond Issuance The Irish budget carrier has repaid its final bond issue worth €1.2 billion — the same debt taken out during the pandemic at a record-low rate of 0.875%. With its entire fleet now debt-free, the company gains a systemic advantage over Lufthansa, easyJet, and other competitors who continue paying for aircraft leasing and expensive credit facilities.

Business

Attack on Birthday: McDonald's on Lukyanivka Hit Exactly 28 Years After Opening — for the Sixth Time

# Ukraine's Oldest McDonald's Damaged on Its Anniversary Night Ukraine's oldest McDonald's was damaged during the night of May 23-24 — the same day it opened its doors in 1997. This marks the sixth attack on the establishment since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Business

Trump spoke about Iran — gas in Europe cheapened by 5%

A single statement about a possible nuclear deal with Tehran immediately corrected the European gas market. Dutch futures fell 4.9% on the morning of May 25.

Business

Venezuela Instead of Persian Gulf: How a US-Iran War Would Rewrite India's Oil Map

As the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by conflict, India—the world's third-largest oil consumer—is urgently pivoting to sanctioned suppliers: Venezuela and Russia. Both options suit Delhi only temporarily.

Business

KAB at 5:30: Kramatorsk hit twice in three days, postal facility targeted again

On September 1, a guided aerial bomb destroyed Department No. 11 — three days after a drone strike on the same company that killed a 49-year-old man and injured a child. Logistics infrastructure in the city has become a regular target.

Business

Dark Transit: How Adnoc Smuggles Oil from the Persian Gulf with Disabled Transponders

While most tanker companies are shunning voyages through the Strait of Hormuz, Abu Dhabi's national oil company has worked out three separate schemes for covert cargo shipments — and has already transported at least 6 million barrels of oil in April.

Business

Naftogaz received a court decision that Kazakhstan's government refuses to implement

The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) court ruled to recover $1.4 billion from Gazprom — but Kazakhstan's Justice Minister explained why the state has no connection to this body and will not comply with its order.

Business

Tishchenko's 179-Meter Wind Turbines: Who is Building and How Much Will the Wind Farm Produce Near Berdychiv

LLC "Berdychiv Wind Park," founded by the Tyshchenko family in 2024, has launched an environmental assessment procedure for a 57 MW project—which could generate up to 180 million kWh annually for the forest-steppe region of Zhytomyr Oblast.

Business

Pepco enters Ukraine during war: why the discounter is betting on an impoverished market

5–10 stores in Q4 2026 is a pilot, not a strategy. The logic behind Pepco's entry seems paradoxical at first glance, but it is quite organic for a market where over 80% of spending goes to basic needs, precisely the format of low prices.

Business

Energy Inflation in the EU Until 2027: How Oil Prices Are Already Reducing Real Incomes of Europeans

The European Commission revised its inflation forecast from 1.9% to 3.1% — and this is more than just statistics: real household incomes in the eurozone will decline by 1.4 percentage points over the forecast horizon.

Business

"127 pilots and 29 'civilian' vessels: Ukraine names executors of missile strikes and Russia's shadow logistics"

The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) has compiled two registers: commanders who have fired over 5,200 missiles at cities, and merchant vessels that transport weapons under civilian flags. Most of the ships are already under Western sanctions—the question is whether this will stop them in ports.

Business

EU and Mexico sign new trade agreement — but it won't take effect anytime soon

On May 22 in Mexico, the Modernized Global Agreement and the interim trade agreement ITA were signed. The first requires ratification by all 27 member states, while the second may come into effect earlier — and it is precisely this agreement that will determine whether the signing becomes a real breakthrough or merely a symbolic gesture.

Business

Polish Minister Brings Garbage Dispute to Kyiv — and Gets "Understanding"

A contract worth approximately €35 million, derailed by delays and a demand for an additional €17 million, has become a diplomatic issue between two countries. Arbitrators in Geneva and Paris continue to determine who is right.

Business

$97 Million → $1.27 Billion: How Zoom Accidentally Made the Best Investment of Its Crisis Era

Zoom invested less than $100 million in Anthropic as part of a partnership agreement — and received a 13x return. This is not a venture strategy, but a corporate stroke of luck that now needs to be explained to shareholders somehow.

Business

Starship V3 Took Off With Failures But Still Completed the Mission — What It Means for NASA and SpaceX's IPO

The first flight of the largest rocket in history experienced booster and Ship engine malfunctions, but the spacecraft delivered 22 dummy satellites to the target orbit. SpaceX obtained the data — and motivation ahead of its public offering.

Business

100 hectares and one minibus: Lviv launches free shuttle service at city's largest cemetery

A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter from German partners will operate freely through Holoskyvskyy Cemetery — primarily for people with disabilities, elderly visitors, and those tending to graves in the most remote sectors.

Business

EU adds Chinese chip manufacturer to sanctions list — and immediately proposes ignoring it

The European Commission included Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic in the 20th sanctions package against Russia and almost simultaneously proposed a nine-month exemption — because without these microchips, European auto plants would come to a stop.

Business

State Reserve Gone Underground: How Officials Turned State Warehouses into Private Rental Business

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) informed four suspects of charges in a scheme involving state storage facilities being leased to businesses through shell companies — losses amounted to 36 million hryvnias. The scheme began during the full-scale invasion.