KIEV, Feb. 16 – Naftogaz Ukrayiny is studying the possibility of partially switching to paying in Russian rubles for gas supplied by Russia's OJSC Gazprom, the board chairman of the Ukrainian holding, Yevhen Bakulin, told the press on Wednesday.

KIEV, Feb. 17 - Ukraine placed a new issue of 10-year eurobonds worth $1.5 billion at 7.95% pa on Wednesday, an informed market source told Interfax.

Yield guidance was 8% when the bid book opened.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – The Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry has forecast that inflation in February will be lower than inflation in January, according to First Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Vadym Kopylov.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – Ukraine's real GDP fell by 15% in 2009, according to the Economy Ministry.

"In 2009 GDP fall is around 15%, according to the assessments of the Economy Ministry [based on quarterly data from the State Statistics Committee]," Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn said.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – Ukrenergo failed to sell access to Ukrainian interstate power lines to make electricity exports from March 1 to March 31 to Slovakia, Hungary and Romania due to bidders' fears that the Burshtyn thermal power plant, which is having problems with coal supplies, would not be able to generate enough power.

KIEV, Feb. 16 – Media reports about the widespread non-fulfillment of insurance liabilities and debts worth some UAH 1 billion being owed to clients over the first nine months of 2009 are untrue, according to Viktor Suslov, the head of the State Commission for Financial Service Markets Regulation.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – There will be no disastrous spring flooding in Ukraine, although high river levels and some standing water are expected, according to Ukraine's Meteorological Office.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – The Environment Protection Ministry has prolonged a license of Cadogan Petroleum plc, an oil and gas company with assets in Ukraine, to develop the Bitlyanska gas field in western Ukraine for another five years – until December 23, 2014.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – A total of 35% of all operating Ukrainian banks posted net losses in 2009, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

The total net loss of the 179 operating banks in Ukraine in 2009 reached UAH 31.492 billion, while in 2008 the net profit of the 182 operating credit and financial institutions came to UAH 7.304 billion.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – The net outflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Ukraine in October through December 2008 was estimated at $1.898 billion, the State Statistics Committee said on Monday evening.

At the same time, FDI growth in Q3 2008 was $1.17 billion; in Q2 2008, $3.553 billion and in Q1 2008 it was $3.365 billion.