KIEV, March 28 - Greece's Alpha Bank expects to close the acquisition of 90% of Kiev-based Astra Bank in the second quarter, the Greek bank said in a press release.

Astra Bank's current shareholders will retain a 10% stake in the bank and remain in management, the release said.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ AeroSvit Ukrainian Airlines will start regular flights between Kiev and Naples, Italy as of April 9, Interfax-Ukraine reported citing a company official. The flights will be made on Boeing 737 four times a week.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ Ukraine will investigate why its largest oil company UkrNafta has suddenly started to sell crude oil at 33% discount thus lowering payments to the state budget, officials said Wednesday.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ Some 700,000 to 900,000 computers were produced in Ukraine last year, or one third more than in 2003, according to manufacturers questioned by Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, March 30 - Sales of new cars in Ukraine in 2005 are likely to fall by 10-15% against 2004 due to amendments to the budget canceling breaks given to domestic auto makers, Igor Sotulenko, the president of the Ukrainian Association of Car Importers and Dealers, said on Tuesday.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ Transport and Communications Minister Yevhen Chervonenko sees a good chance for establishing a joint project between Ukraine's Luhanskteplovoz and Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) and Russia's Transmashholding and Severstal.

KIEV, March 30 - Oleksiy Ivchenko, the chairman of state energy company Naftogaz Ukrayiny, urged Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko to boost supplies of Russian crude via the Brody-to-Odessa oil pipeline for export via the Black Sea, Naftogaz said Wednesday.

KYIV, Jan 29 – Based on materials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the court has seized a large batch of industrial products and raw materials owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

KYIV, Jan 29 – Ukraine's underground gas storage (UGS) facilities are nearing the critical 10% capacity level, at which the design withdrawal capacity will drop to 60 million cubic meters per day, former head of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) Serhiy Makohon reported on Facebook.

KYIV, Jan 29 – Finland will help Ukraine in assessing environmental damage and monitoring water quality and biodiversity, said Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk.