KIEV, Feb. 12 – Fitch Ratings has downgraded 12 Ukrainian companies' ratings, following the agency's rating action on the Ukrainian sovereign, the agency reported Thursday.

KIEV, Feb. 13 - The Praktiker Group, the operator of the German Praktiker DIY construction materials hypermarket chain, has sold its subsidiary in Ukraine, reads a posting on the Web site of the Praktiker Group.

KIEV, Feb. 13 - Vipiemme Solar of Italy is seeking to build 0.5-MW solar power plant in the area around Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry reported Thursday.

KIEV, Feb. 11 – The total state debt of Ukraine as of late 2013 will expand to 38.5% of GDP, reads an offering memorandum on the issue of eurobonds by Ukraine, referring to a forecast made by the Cabinet of Ministers.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 12 – The European Commission hopes Ukraine will consult with it in advance regarding possible signing of a bilateral agreement with Russia on the creation of a gas transport consortium, and is ready to provide Ukraine with further assistance.

KIEV, Feb. 12 – A central storage facility for nuclear waste (mainly spent sources of ionizing radiation) should be built and commissioned by December 2014, according to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Andriy Kliuyev.

KIEV, Feb. 13 – Ukraine is an outsider among countries in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the pace of army rearmament, according to the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies (CACDS).

KIEV, Feb. 13 – The Yuzhny maritime merchandise port, after the implementation of a on its 2012-2015 modernization program, will be the largest deepwater port in the northwest section of the Black Sea, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul said during a working visit to Odessa.

KIEV, Feb. 10 – Crude oil production in Ukraine declined by 2.2% (4,600 tons) year-over-year in January, to 201,600 tons.

According to the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, the production of gas condensate last month remained at the level of January 2011 and stood at 80,800 tons.

KIEV, Feb. 10 – Parliament has passed a law on the construction of a centralized interim storage facility for waste nuclear fuel from Water-Water Energetic Reactors (WWER) at domestic nuclear power plants.