Eastern Europe / News
Fear and mistrust on the Ukrainian campaign trail
Nine out of ten Ukrainians don't trust their government, a poll by Gallup has found a week before the presidential election — the worst result in the world.
Credit Bank of Moscow successfully issued its second $500mn Eurobond this year
This was the leading Russian commercial bank's sixth Eurobond issue in the last two and a half years.
Donors getting nervous due to speculations over de-nationalisation of Ukraine's PrivatBank
The United States embassy to Ukraine unexpectedly said on March 21 that its diplomats "are closely monitoring" developments surrounding the nation's largest lender by assets, PrivatBank, nationalised in late 2016.
Russia places $3bn and €0.75bn Eurobonds in biggest issue in six years
Russia's Finance Ministry has swiftly placed $3bn and €0.75bn worth of Eurobonds, maturing in 2035 and yielding 5.1% and 2025/2.375%, respectively – the biggest issue in six years
Spy accusation scandal breaks out over IIB's move to Hungary
The multilateral development bank, International Investment Bank, has moved its headquarters from Moscow to Hungary, provoking accusations that it will become a nest of spies used by Russian security forces.
Ukraine expert forecasts second-round run-off between Zelensky and Poroshenko
Ukrainian comic and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Petro Poroshenko will face each other in the second-round run-off of the 2019 presidential election, Zenon Zawada at Kyiv-based brokerage Concorde Capital predicted in a res
Al Breach’s hedge fund rockets to $1.4bn in assets
A hedge fund founded by former Russian star strategist Al Breach has seen its assets under management rocket by 70% last year to almost $1.4bn, bne IntelliNews can reveal.
Ukraine government to extend contract with incumbent CEO of gas monopoly
The Ukrainian cabinet will extend a contract with CEO of the nation's state-owned natural gas monopoly Naftogaz Andriy Kobolev for one year, Volodymyr Groysman said at a government meeting on March 20.
Russian Towers boosts revenues by 35% in 2018, keeps expanding
Telecoms towers business Russian Towers increased revenues by 35% year-on-year in 2018 to over RUB3bn ($47mn), the company's head Alexander Chub told the press on March 20, as cited by Interfax.
Over two-thirds believe Ukraine headed in the wrong direction, President Petro Poroshenko leads disapproval polls
Over two-thirds of respondents in new Rating poll believe Ukraine is headed in the wrong direction, and half say they won't vote for incumbent President Petro Poroshenko "under any circumstances".
Tymoshenko's allies accuse Ukrainian president of "buying votes" using nationalised PrivatBank
Politician close to opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko claims President Petro Poroshenko and his team have imported hundreds of millions of hryvnias via PrivatBank in order to bribe voters.
Ukraine’s far right protestors attack riot police with toy pigs
Protestors gathered near the Presidential Administration and faced off with a four-deep line of police in full riot gear but began to pepper them with a barrage of soft toy pigs.
Belarus, Russia locked in bitter diplomatic dispute over anti-Russian rhetoric
A bitter diplomatic row between Russia and neighbouring Belarus sparked on March 15 following an interview of Moscow's ambassador Mikhail Babich, who has accused President Alexander Lukashenko of using anti-Russian rhetoric
Petrochemical major Sibur prepares to pay record-high dividend
The board of directors of Russian petrochemical major Sibur voted to pay a record-high dividend of RUB33.8bn ($0.5bn) for 2018, which would already include RUB11bn paid in 1H18 and leave RUB22.8bn to be distributed for 2H118, the company said on Mar
Gazprom's Power of Siberia gas pipeline to China is finished
Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom will start filling the Power of Siberia natural gas pipeline that connects Russia to China from September 1, opening an entirely new market for Russian gas.
The share of salmon in Russia’s aquaculture is set to rise to over a third
Fish is now a booming business in Russia and has attracted the attention of several oligarchs, who have invested in new fish farms.
"Ukrainian Papers" massive business data leak embroils Poroshenko in a new corruption scandal
Another corruption scandal has broken out for Ukraine’s embattled President Petro Poroshenko, only two weeks away from presidential elections, via a massive leak of hacked files that also implicate the president's friends.
Board of Ukraine gas monopoly reportedly seeks extending of contract with incumbent CEO, halving salary
The supervisory board of Ukraine's state-owned natural gas monopoly Naftogaz proposed the Cabinet of Ministers to extend a contract with the company's CEO Andriy Kobolev for one year, until March 22, 2020, according to a letter signed by board's head
Western-backed NABU anti-graft agency caught up in Ukraine defence corruption scandal
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has found out itself front and centre of the ongoing corruption scandal over alleged illegal profit of associates of President Petro Poroshenko from the war in Donbas.
Russia moves to auction half of crab fishing quotas
Russia intends to auction off 50% of crab fishing quotas instead of assigning the quotas to market players in proportion to the catch as in previous years