Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
Farmers plant seed outside of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukrainian farmers have sown nearly 3 million hectares of winter crops as of Oct. 3, even as Russia's full-scale invasion has devastated arable land and Russian occupation has limited access to fields.
Meanwhile, Russia’s de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and attacks on port facilities on the Danube River have depleted export volumes significantly.
By the start of October, farmers had sown 2.992 million hectares, including 1.7 million hectares of winter wheat, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on its website.
Winter wheat is the main winter crop in Ukraine, accounting for about 97 percent of Ukraine's total wheat production.
The area sown also included 1.087 million hectares of rapeseed, 109,000 hectares of barley, and 53,600 hectares of rye, according to Agriculture Ministry data.
Farmers in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast have sown the most winter grain, completing 87% of their forecast, while all oblasts have nearly finalized rapeseed sowing, the ministry said.
Because of favorable weather conditions, the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry now expects Ukraine to harvest 79.1 million tons of grain and oilseed in 2023, surpassing last season's harvest of 76.8 million metric tons.
The prediction is still behind 2021’s record result of 86 million metric tons.
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Preliminary estimates place the wheat harvest at 21.7 million metric tons, barley at 5.7 million metric tons, and corn at 28.5 million metric tons.
Oilseed production could reach 21.6 million metric tons, while the sunflower harvest may hit 13 million metric tons and soybean production could reach 4.6 million metric tons.
Agricultural workers are only able to utilize 10.895 million hectares of land for spring and winter grains, which is 980,000 hectares less than last year.
The main issue plaguing farmers, however, is the export of their goods, brought on by Russia's continued Black Sea blockade and attacks on port infrastructure.
Last month, only 3.64 million metric tons of agricultural products crossed the border, down from 6.87 million metric tons in the same period last year, according to Agriculture Ministry data.
On Oct. 1, Ukraine exported 7,000 metric tons of grain, compared with 297,000 metric tons a year ago.
The Ukraine Grain Association (UGA) predicted last month that exports for the 2023/24 marketing year could potentially reach nearly 49 million metric tons.
In the previous marketing year (1 July 2022-30 June 2023), Ukraine exported 58 million metric tons of food products.
Dominic is the business reporter for the Kyiv Independent. He has written for a number of publications including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Previously, Dominic worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian fake news in Europe.
Alexander Query
