KIEV, Jan. 19 – Kernel Group, one of the largest agro-industrial groups in Ukraine, has made a binding offer to acquire a 37.6% minority shareholders interest in Allseeds Group, a large player on the Ukrainian vegetable oil market.

KIEV, Jan. 19 – Kharkiv-based Turboatom, one of Ukraine's largest producers of energy equipment, announced it has finished an upgrade that allows the company to restore 380 V voltage to its power system and stabilize the operation of its equipment.

KIEV, Jan. 16 – Horlivka-based Stirol Concern in 2008 boosted sales by 47.2%, or UAH 5.264 billion, compared to 2007.

As the company reported on Friday, ammonia sales in 2008 grew by 105.8%, to UAH1.370 billion, while sales of granulated ammonium nitrate rose by 47.6%, to UAH567.033 million, sulphuric acid by 461.1% to UAH87.969 million, medicines by 0.1% to UAH60.720 million, and polystyrene by 7.6% to UAH327.427 million.

KIEV, Jan. 19 – The Ukrainian life insurance market in 2009 will fall both in terms of the number of insurance companies and in premium collection, Eugene Greenberg, chairman of Kiev-based First Ukrainian Insurance, told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Jan. 19 – The construction of gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine – the Nord Stream and South Stream projects – will not affect the role of the Ukrainian gas transportation system in transiting gas to Europe, according to Oleksandr Todyichuk, the president of Q-club Kiev International Energy Club.

DNIPROPETROVSK, Jan. 19 - Ukraine would need some UAH 26 bln ($5 bln), according to preliminary estimates, to renovate its steel industry and modernize roll production in order to lower energy consumption and introduce modern technology.

KIEV, Jan. 19 ??“ Ukrainian Transportation and Communications Minister Viktor Bondar agreed with representatives of U.S. Delta Airlines on regular direct flights from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and Kiev Boryspil Airport, the ministry reported.

KIEV, Jan. 18 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny, Ukraine??™s national oil and gas company, plans to increase natural gas output by 6.9% on the year to 20.2 billion cubic meters in 2005, up from 18.9bcm extracted in 2004, a company official said Tuesday.

KIEV, Jan. 19 - Ukrainian parliament voted Tuesday to ban bankruptcies in the mostly state-owned coal mining sector, the parliament's press-service reported Wednesday.

KIEV, Jan. 19 - Ernst&Young, one of Big Four international accounting firms, is expected to complete audit of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, Ukraine's national oil and gas company, before the end of June, a Naftogaz official said Tuesday.