Excerpts from the most important news on Ukraine
Ukrainian companies to test gas exports to central Europe
29.01.2019
Ukrainian gas companies are preparing to test exports to central Europe after the country has more than halved entry-exit tariffs for this year, a source close to discussions told ICIS.Several companies will be looking to export volume to Hungary and Slovakia to test the readiness of the transmission system operator Ukrtransgaz (UTG) and the customs regimes to new types of operations.The Ukrainian grid operator Ukrtransgaz is also in talks with its Polish counterpart GAZ-SYSTEM to allow backhaul flows on the ...Ukraine and Facebook discuss election security efforts
28.01.2019
The officials of the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine and the representatives of Facebook discussed cooperation to ensure the security of the electoral process in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Yuriy Stets, Deputy Minister Dmytro Zolotukhin and State Secretary of the Ministry Artem Bidenko, as well as Facebook’s Public Policy Director for Central and Eastern Gabriella Cseh and Facebook’s Public Policy Lead for Elections Anika Geisel met on January 23 and discussed cooperation to ensure integrity ...DDoSecrets Published Leaked russian Documents
27.01.2019
Leaked documents shed light on russia’s war against Ukraine and tight ties of the russian Orthodox Church to the kremlin, the business dealings of oligarchs and much more.The biggest portion of the documents is called “The Dark Side of the kremlin.” It includes “hundreds of thousands of messages and files from russian politicians, journalists, oligarchs, religious figures, and nationalists/terrorists in Ukraine,” said the hacker group in a post on Twitter.http://web.archive.org/web/20190127112112/https://twitter.com/DDoSecrets/status/1088768450460336136The documents also include hacked materials from russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs ...Ukraine says it sees surge in cyber attacks targeting election
26.01.2019
Hackers likely controlled by russia are stepping up efforts to disrupt Ukraine’s presidential election in March with cyber attacks on electoral servers and personal computers of election staff, the head of Ukraine’s cyber police said on Friday.Ukrainian Cyber Police Chief Serhiy Demedyuk said that the attackers were using virus-infected greeting cards, shopping invitations, offers for software updates and other malicious “phishing” material intended to steal passwords and personal information.Ten weeks before the elections, hackers were also buying personal details of ...Ukraine offering oil and gas blocks to investors
25.01.2019
The Ukrainian government plans a series of licensing rounds for oil and natural gas blocks as the nation seeks to end its dependence on imported gas. International oil companies are being invited to participate in upcoming auctions and production-sharing agreements, reports Oil and Gas Journal.The first round will be for 10 blocks covering 1,120 sq miles in six regions. The auctions are scheduled for Mar. 6.Details will be discussed at the Ukrainian Gas E&P Forum Jan. 29 at the Geological ...PACE recognizes captured Ukrainian sailors as prisoners of war
24.01.2019
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has officially demanded that russia treat Ukrainian sailors captured in the Kerch Strait in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.This is stated in the PACE resolution titled “The escalation of tensions around the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait and threats to European security,” which was adopted in Strasbourg on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent said.The resolution was supported by 103 delegates, 16 abstained, and three ...European companies will fund the construction of the largest wind power plant in Ukraine
24.01.2019
In Davos, in the presence of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, an agreement was signed between the Norwegian company NBT, the French company Total Eren and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development regarding the Syvash project, president.gov.ua reports.The package of documents provides for the funding of 150 million euros for the construction of the largest wind power plant in Ukraine and one of the largest wind power plants in Europe with a total cost of about 400 million euros.“I ...Ukrainian agricultural exports hit record high of $18.8 bln
23.01.2019
In 2018, the Ukrainian agricultural exports grew by more than $880 million compared with 2017 and hit a record high of $18.8 billion, Ukrinform reports.“For full year 2018, Ukrainian agricultural exports grew by more than $880 million compared with 2017 and hit a record high of $18.8 billion. During this period, the volume of agricultural exports to the markets of Asia and the European Union significantly increased. Ukrainian agricultural exports to the Asian countries exceeded $8 billion, and we exported ...Investors have built 207 new plants in Ukraine over past four years
23.01.2019
Over the past four years, the investors have built and put into operation 207 new plants, Ukrinform reports.“In the areas far from the front line, investors do not hesitate to come to Ukraine. Over the past four years, the investors have built and put into operation 207 new plants,” President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said on the air of Ukraine TV channel.According to the President, almost half a million people are currently working at these 207 plants.The “lion’s share” of ...NBU received the Central Banking Award for Transparency
23.01.2019
Central banks do not always find it easy to become more transparent to the outside world, even when they serve stable economies in orderly, peaceful countries. But the National Bank of Ukraine has dramatically increased its openness even as it had to cope with a host of serious problems.The NBU has considerably increased its transparency in the past year, and in the preceding three years, despite exceptionally difficult circumstances. Its next goal is to improve financial literacy as a step ...russian fake experts have penetrated social media in the Philippines
23.01.2019
russian disinformation and network systems have penetrated social media in the Philippines, tapping so-called “experts” to lend legitimacy and credibility to false information being peddled and spread online, Rappler reports.It has found links between the disinformation ecosystem in the Philippines to russia and the St Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA), a state-sponsored troll farm.Among these links is an alleged “geopolitical expert” named Adam Garrie, who writes for websites known to spread misleading claims, and who has been quoted extensively in online posts ...russia did not accept the fact that Ukraine had gained independence
22.01.2019
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the kremlin launched a “hybrid war” against Ukraine immediately after the country proclaimed independence, writes UNIAN.“Literally, attempts to restore the russian empire began from the moment when we declared our independence. In our current experience, we can precisely name these attempts as the start of a ‘hybrid war’ against Ukraine,” he said at an event at Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square to mark Unity Day, the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Act ...
