KYIV, Dec 27 - The enterprises of the space industry of Ukraine in 2017 within the framework of participation in international cooperation in the world market of launch services provided five launches of carrier rockets.

The State Space Agency of Ukraine said in 2017 three launches of the Vega carrier rocket of the European Space Agency (ESA), one launch of the Antares carrier rocket operated in the United States under the contract with NASA, as well as one launch of the Zenit-3SLBF carrier rocket within the framework of the Land Launch international project were provided with the participation of Ukrainian space enterprises.

KYIV, Dec 27 - The Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday approved the financial plan of state-owned enterprise Energoatom for 2018 with a planned net profit of UAH 327.627 million, which is 38.5% higher than the expected similar figure this year (UAH 236.472 million).

KIEV, Dec. 28 - Electricity consumption in Ukraine in January through November 2016, taking into account losses in electricity transmission, fell by 1.6% or 2.164 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) year-on-year, to 134.311 billion kWh, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry has told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 28 – The interagency commission for international trade has decided to introduce antidumping duties on imports of Russian fertilizers and proposed to temporarily postpone their introduction until Parliament passes a special bill to avoid possible negative consequences for the agricultural sector.

KIEV, Dec. 27 - The National Bank of Ukraine has explained an excessive demand for foreign currency in the interbank market with the coincidence of two temporary factors: Christmas holidays in the United States and Europe, limiting forex supply in the market, and an increased demand for currency against the background of getting VAT refunds by exporter companies.

KIEV, Dec. 27 – Ukraine seeks to continue fruitful talks with Israel on signing a free trade area (FTA) agreement despite a demarche of Tel-Aviv with regard to support of the UN Security Council Resolution on Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by the representative of Kiev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Ukraine's Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska has said.

KIEV, Dec. 28 – Nova Poshta has launched express delivery service from China to Ukraine designed in cooperation with China's SF Express logistic operator.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – The Defense Ministry will need UAH 44.7 billion in budget funds in 2015, mainly for the maintenance of the Armed Forces, Defense Ministry spokeswoman Viktoria Kushnir said.

KIEV, Dec. 26 – Ukraine and Germany in January will prepare a statement on an untied loan from Germany to rebuild infrastructure in Donbas, and an agreement on the German government providing guarantees for the loan.

KIEV, Dec. 28 - Industrial group Magnetit LLC affiliated with Donetskstal, has finished obtaining the required permits to build a quarry and a rock crushing plant to develop the Odarivske migmatite field to produce stone at the territory of the Yurkivka council of Orikhiv district in Zaporizhia region, the Zaporizhia regional administration reported.