KIEV, Dec. 4 – The exact size of deposits of methane that can be extracted from coal beds in Ukraine has not been determined, while extraction technologies have not been designed, according to scientists polled by Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 4 – The considerable toughening of the requirements on the size of banks' statutory capitals foreseen in draft law No. 0884 on amendments to the financial laws, could lead to a destabilization of the situation in the banking sector, according to Stanyslav Arzhevitin, the first deputy head of the parliamentary committee for finance and banking and head of the Association of Ukrainian banks.

KHARKIV, Dec. 6 – Ukraine is preparing to deliver the first batch of BTR-4 armored vehicles to Iraq in the middle of December under a large arms supply contract worth over $550 million struck in 2009, a source familiar with the details of the contract told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 6 – Inflation in Ukraine slowed to 0.3% in November, compared to 0.5% in October and 2.9% in September, the State Statistics Committee said.

Since the beginning of 2010, inflation has hit 8.2%, compared to 11.3% over the same period of 2009.

KIEV, Dec. 7 – Mariupol Illich Iron & Steel Works (Donetsk region) announced it is reorganizing its structure, cutting the number of its daughter companies to reduce expenses and increase profit margins.

KIEV, Dec. 7 – The hryvnia exchange rate on the interbank currency market could remain at the present level until late 2009, according to Valeriy Lytvytsky, the head of the group of advisors to the governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 4 – First Deputy Justice Minister Yevhen Korniychuk said that Austria's Centragas Beteiligungs Holding AG is not a proper petitioner in a hearing on a case concerning 11 billion cubic meters of gas allegedly expropriated from RUE by Naftogaz Ukrayiny.

KIEV, Dec. 7 - It would be economically prudent to build several new pipes in addition to the existing Ukrainian gas transportation system, which would cost Ukraine's possible partners in the project much less than the construction of a bypass pipeline, Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko said in an interview published in the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia weekly.

KIEV, Dec. 5 – The Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk received EUR372,513 for the participation of its players in the finals of the Euro 2008 European Football Championship in Austria and Switzerland this year.

UEFA said on Thursday that it would transfer the funds to the Football Federation of Ukraine to be sent on to Shakhtar.

KIEV, Dec. 5 - Ukraine’s largest petrochemical company, KarpatNaftoKhim, which planned to resume operation in the spring, said last week the restart will be probably delayed until the end of 2009.