Business news, entrepreneurship and startups in Kyiv region
Electric car sales in Ukraine rebounded for two consecutive months, but fell again in May. Over the year, the market has contracted by half due to the reinstatement of VAT, which the state has not attempted to compensate for.
# Russian Oil Exports from Major Ports May Plummet in June Crude oil shipments from Russia's three main ports could fall by one-third compared to May levels in June. While official statements cite scheduled maintenance, the actual situation is more complex.
Andriy Vidiborets joined Derzhzembank from his position as chief accountant of the SFMS — the institution that now controls the bank. His predecessor Yaroslav Yaroslavsky left due to "different approaches" with the new management.
Kyiv Becomes Ukraine's Most Expensive Rental Market Again Following Late 2025 Collapse from Shelling and Utilities Crisis. Sumy Region Shows Anomalous 165% Monthly Surge, While Cheapest Housing Found in Frontline Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia.
On the night of June 8, a Shahed drone destroyed part of Ukrposhta's sorting hub in Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv. Fire and destroyed structures resulted from the strike, but there were no casualties thanks to the timely evacuation of personnel.
The company released internal data describing not a future risk, but an already existing trend: the AI model is accelerating its own development faster than humanity has managed to agree on what to do about it.
An international tender for the purchase of electric buses for Kharkiv ended without a winner. The city received financing from an EU bank but was unable to find a supplier.
A petition about "mass recruitment of foreigners" has gathered 25,000 signatures amid a disinformation campaign. Meanwhile, the government has yet to address the real scale of the labor shortage — 4.5 million workers.
The government has allocated funds for repairs of critical sections of local roads under co-financing arrangements with communities. However, the reporting mechanism remains an open question.
# Translation The Commercial Court of Cherkasy Region approved a restructuring plan for Cherkasy Chemical Fibre, a company that leases the city's thermal power plant until 2050. The debt to Naftohaz Trading is being written off as fines and penalties, while the enterprise's owner Anatoly Skribliak is involved in several criminal proceedings and is hiding abroad.
Albert Manifold came to BP with a mandate as a tough reformer. The board of directors unanimously fired him after whistleblower complaints about systematic bullying and improper handling of confidential information.
The United Arab Emirates' withdrawal from the cartel and prolonged instability in the Middle East have sent joint oil production plummeting to levels not seen in over thirty years.
A fire broke out at the Antipinsky Oil Refinery, the only private oil refinery in Russia's Urals Federal District. The official version: a technological accident. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions.
# Ukraine Launches Tool for Assessing Solar and Wind Energy Potential — But Best Resources Concentrated in South and East, Where Fighting Continues Ukraine has launched an instrument for evaluating the suitability of territories for solar and wind energy generation — however, the greatest potential is concentrated in the south and east, where hostilities are still ongoing.
Russia's federal budget lost 40% of revenues and fell into deficit of over $80 billion. While the Kremlin advertises "new partnerships," its own regions are sinking into a debt pit.
Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria have accelerated construction of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline — but between Nigerian gas fields and European stoves lies 841 kilometers through a country run by a military junta.
The company "Avtomahestral-Pivden" has resumed work on a frozen 30-kilometer section of Ukraine's first highway. However, the completion date remains tied to the end of the martial law.
While the government is increasing funding for the capital's preparation for the heating season, Kuleba publicly criticized Klitschko's pace and promised to "assess the management capabilities" of city authorities after May 10.
The British government has revised its internal forecasts: oil will remain expensive for at least two years following a possible peace settlement with Iran. This means frozen interest rate cuts, higher bills, and a revision of budget rules.
A drone damaged the Kernel grain terminal in Chornomorsk on the night of June 5 — a month after an attack on the same company's oil terminal at the same port. Reconstruction following the 2023 attack is expected to be completed only in October.
Roman Karkosik — founder of the industrial conglomerate Boryszew with a capital of $1.1 billion — is financing the construction of a 55.6-meter statue of the Virgin Mary in a village with fewer than 120 residents. The opening is scheduled for August 15, 2025, but the construction is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
# Government Adds Two New Members to Ukrzaliznytsia Board. What Stands Behind the Personnel Decision and Whether It Will Change the Monopoly's Work
Through Turkish shell companies, Russia is not obtaining mass-produced goods, but the most precise equipment — optics worth up to €3,200 per unit and measurement technology for drone production. China operates on volume, Turkey operates on quality.
# Investors from China and Hong Kong barred from largest IPO in US history — basis was not general "concern," but specific US arms control law Chinese and Hong Kong investors have been denied access to the largest initial public offering in US history, with the restriction based not on vague apprehensions but on a specific American arms control legislation.
# Effective October 1, 2026, each parcel worth up to 150 euros from international marketplaces — Temu, AliExpress, Shein — will be subject to standard VAT of 20%. The government calls this leveling the playing field, but consumers will face higher bills.
# Swedish Court in Ystad Rules Arrest of Tanker Caffa Lawful, Paving Way for Transfer to Ukraine A Swedish court in Ystad has declared the arrest of the bulk carrier Caffa legal, opening the path for its handover to Ukraine. This marks the first instance of a foreign court granting a request from Ukrainian prosecutors regarding a vessel suspected of transporting grain from occupied territories.
A new program provides small and medium-sized businesses with access to cheaper loans and grants of up to 30% of equipment costs through Ukrainian partner banks of the EBRD. But the real question is not about the volume, but whether war risk insurance coverage will be sufficient for banks to actually disburse these funds.
The Cabinet of Ministers has permitted the movement of three-unit road trains between Kyiv and Odesa without requiring special police permits for the first time. The Finnish model promises fuel savings of up to 30 percent, though the mechanism for actual weight control remains an open question.
# Ivan Havryliuk - a man who managed defense procurement for half a year - is now advising Shmyhal on a volunteer basis in a different ministry. This transition demonstrates how defense industry logic is gradually penetrating civilian sectors.
# Sinohydro Completed Half the Work in Three Years, Left Cracks in Concrete, and Won International Arbitration Against Ukravtodor for €10.3 Million. Now Onur is Finishing the Same Project — But the State Enters the Site with an Already Damaged Reputation as a Customer.