KIEV, Jan. 11 ??“ Alchevsk Steel Mill, Ukraine??™s No. 5 steel producer, on Thursday pledged to complete a $2 billion investment program within the next three years as the company re-equips itself for saving energy costs.

KIEV, Jan. 11 - Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Ukraine??™s No. 2 bank by assets, plans to increase lending to corporate clients by at least 40% this year in order to retain its share on the credit market.

KIEV, Jan. 11 - The largest currency inflow in Ukraine in 2006 was seen in December in the light of significant foreign borrowing, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

KIEV, Jan. 11 - Britain's Omega will supply molding equipment for iron and steel blanks to the Ukrainian Casting Company, which is controlled by the Ukrainian Industrial Energy Company (UPEK).

KIEV, Jan. 11 - Electricity generating in Ukraine tentatively rose by 3.7% in 2006 year-on-year, to 192.13 billion kWh, the Fuel and Energy Ministry told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

KIEV, Jan. 11 - EnergoAtom, Ukraine??™s state-owned nuclear power producer, increased electricity generation by 1.7% year-on-year to 90.26 billion kWh in 2006, EnergoAtom reported.

MOSCOW, Jan. 11 ??“ Italy's second largest bank in terms of assets, Banca Intesa, may buy Ukraine's fourth largest bank, Ukrsotsbank, Banca Intesa Chief Executive Officer Corrado Passera told Bloomberg.

MOSCOW, Jan. 11 - Standard & Poor's on Wednesday affirmed its 'BB-' long-term foreign, 'BB' long-term local, and 'B' short-term sovereign credit ratings on Ukraine, but warned gas price hike may affect the economy.

KIEV, Dec. 30 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny, Ukraine??™s state oil and gas company, suspended acquisition of Kalmoil, a small Russian oil company, due to domestic political and financial instability, a source at the company said Thursday.

KIEV, Jan. 6 ??“ Sophia Kyiv, the real estate developer, is planning to complete construction of the first stage of the Saint Sophia Hyatt Regency Kyiv hotel at 5 Alla Tarasova Street at Sophia Square in Kiev by May 1, the company's director Tetiana Dukhanina said.