KYIV, March 19 - The new Ukrainian airline Bees Airline plans to launch its first regular flight by the end of April 2021, director general of the company Yevhen Khainatsky has said.

KYIV, March 20 – Interpipe, the international vertically integrated pipe and wheel company, increased steel production by 4.8% in January-February of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, to 138,200 tons.

KYIV, March 20 – Ukraine’s wealthiest businessman Rinat Akhmetov, the owner of steel and mining conglomerate Metinvest, said he will spend up to UAH 300 million through different charities to help communities fight an outbreak of coronavirus.

KYIV, March 19 – The state-owned defense group Ukroboronprom is working to restore the production of lung ventilators at its Burevisnyk plant in Kyiv, Deputy Director of Ukroboronprom for Transformation Roman Bondar said.

KYIV, March 19 – The Ukrainian Health Ministry said it might engage private clinics to hospitalize patients with coronavirus as part of a COVID-19 medical care plan, Deputy Health Minister and Chief Public Health Official Viktor Liashko said.

KYIV, March 19 – Ukrspyrt has suspended shipment of alcohol for export due to the increased demand for medical alcohol in Ukraine because of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, the company said.

KYIV, March 19 – Consumption of power in the energy system of Ukraine since the introduction of quarantine measures has decreased by 5%, according to the website of Ukrenergo transmission system operator.

KYIV, March 19 – The volume of internal production of pulp and paper industry enterprises in Ukraine in physical terms may decrease approximately 15% by the end of 2020 compared to 2019 under the influence of factors related to countering the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, according to UkrPapir association.

KYIV, March 20 – The European Business Association (EBA) calls upon the inclusion in the list of such important objects that must remain open during quarantine as non-food stores specializing in the sale of animal feed, veterinary pharmacies and veterinary clinics.

KYIV, March 21 - Ukraine's gross foreign debt as of early 2018 was $116.57 billion, which is 2.59% more than at the beginning of 2017, according to the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).