MOSCOW, July 24 - Russia is banning imports of all plant-based products carried in hold luggage and hand luggage or sent by post from Ukraine effective July 28, Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian agricultural watchdog, said.

KIEV, July 25 – The National Bank of Ukraine starting July 24 has introduced an emergency regime of operation for banks in Luhansk, Donetsk regions and Crimea.

KIEV, July 25 – Ukraine will carry out all of the tasks necessary for the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said.

KIEV, July 25 – The first trials of the new Korsar anti-tank missile system have been conducted at a firing range near Kiev, Segodnya newspaper reported.

KIEV, July 26 - Supplies of foreign weapons for a new corvette of the Ukrainian Navy, the construction of which has begun at Black Sea Shipyard (Mykolaiv), are expected in 2015-2016, the Defense Ministry reported.

KIEV, July 28 - Sberbank of Russia has confirmed information that the bank has provided a $376 million financing to the State Road Service of Ukraine (Ukravtodor).

"Sberbank and Ukravtodor are considering the deal as an important step in cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian companies.

KIEV, July 26 – Kyivavtodor is planning by August 24 (Ukrainian Independence Day) to finish the construction of the first stage of the transport hubs near the Dnipro subway station and from Nauky Avenue to Stolychne Shose.

KIEV, July 26 – State-run arms export and import company Ukrspecexport doubled revenues from sales year-over-year in H1, to UAH 1.14 billion.

As the company said in the information disclosure system of the State Commission on Securities and the Stock Market, its net revenues in the first half soared by six times, to UAH 172.74 million, while its net profit amounted to UAH 4.55 million, compared to a net loss of UAH 3.32 million UAH in the first half of 2010.

KIEV, July 26 – The adoption of the draft law on the land market now registered in Parliament could attract big investments to rural areas, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

KIEV, July 27 – The deficit of Ukraine's national budget fell by UAH 16.1 billion year-over-year in H1, to UAH 10.4 billion, according to the Finance Ministry.