Business Week: Pharmacy inspections, sale of Ukrbuild, record gold, and the first recovery grant

The European Union transferred €4 billion to Ukraine under a new legal mechanism, and a further €2 billion has been allocated to develop drone production in the country. The State Property Fund sold 100% of Ukrbud shares for 805 million hryvnias to the company "Techno-online," whose new beneficiaries include the Astion brothers. Gold set a historical record – over $3,800 per ounce – and Ukraine's state debt reached $192.7 billion. Following the destruction, the Teahouse company will receive its first grant for reconstruction, and the Cabinet of Ministers has abolished the outdated list of medicines for first-aid posts to make medical care in villages more accessible.

A digest of the week's most important events in the economy, market, and finance LIGA.net.

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has opened proceedings against the top 5 pharmacy chains

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, October 2nd announced regarding the opening of a case against 155 companies that are part of the five largest pharmacy chains in the country.

These are the ANTS, "Dobrogo Dnya", "9-1-1", "Podorozhnyk" and "Bazhaemo Zdorovya" networks, which, according to the AMCU, may engage in concerted actions that violate the principles of fair competition.

According to the Committee's information, as of July 2025, these five chains accounted for 64% of retail drug sales and owned 42% of pharmacies nationwide (7,742 locations). This influence allows them to significantly shape trading conditions in the market, the AMCU noted.

In particular, since February 2025, a decrease in the availability of medicines from three Ukrainian manufacturers has been recorded in pharmacies, despite stable demand. Such actions may indicate a deliberate restriction on the sale of certain medicines, which is contrary to the legislation on the protection of economic competition.

Earlier, the pharmaceutical company "Darnitsa" announced two forced production halts starting in March 2025 due to a conflict with the same pharmacy chains. Company management indicates that after the state ban on marketing payments to pharmacies, introduced in response to their complaint, the chains allegedly began restricting purchases of "Darnitsa" products and making their sale more difficult.

The Astion brothers acquired the state-owned "Ukrbud" for 805 million UAH

October 2nd, State Property Fund signed an agreement for the sale of 100% of the shares of the State Joint Stock Company "Construction Company "Ukrbud"". The auction took place on June 18 — this was reported in the Prozorro.Sales system.

The initial winner of the tender was the company "Petro Oil and Chemicals", which belongs to Georgian businessman David Bezhuašvili. It offered 805 million UAH, but on June 30 it was disqualified due to ties with sanctioned individuals.

The agreement was only reached after a change in the composition of the beneficiaries: according to LIGA360, Yevhen and Vasyl Astiony joined the company's owners, each controlling 33% of the company. Another 34% of the shares belong to Marina Ayab.

The new owners are required to maintain the company's key areas of activity, repay wage arrears and debts to the state budget within six months, not to lay off employees, and to pay dividends for 2024-2025.

The privatization lot includes 88 real estate properties (buildings, structures, non-residential premises) and 17 land plots. In Kyiv, the company owns 19 properties with a total area of over 27,000 sq. m. Assets are also located in Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. Some lots consist of several properties, adding to their overall value.

Zaychenko will remain as CEO of Ukrenergo – decision of the Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of Ukrenergo has reconsidered its decision to dismiss the company's CEO, Vitaliy Zaichenko reported Ministry of Energy.

"The Ministry of Energy welcomes the Supervisory Board's decision to extend Vitaliy Zaychenko's term as CEO of NEC "Ukrenergo"," reads the official statement from the ministry. It also noted that cooperation with the Supervisory Board will continue, particularly in matters of critical infrastructure protection, energy system stability, and improving the company's financial performance.

The company confirmed that the current management remains in their positions. In a statement, Ukrenergo emphasized that the board of directors, headed by Zaychenko, continues to fulfill all obligations to counterparties, investors, and international partners. They named manageability, transparency, constructiveness, and support from international donors as priorities, necessary for carrying out emergency repair work and strengthening the protection of the company's facilities.

On June 23, Vitaliy Zaychenko, who previously held the position of chief dispatcher, won the competition for the head of the board of Ukrenergo. However, on September 26, the supervisory board unexpectedly decided to dismiss him, citing alleged procedural violations during the appointment, as well as a loss of confidence in him after certain events in recent weeks.

Elon Musk has become the first person to have a net worth exceeding $500 billion

American entrepreneur and investor Elon Musk has set a new record: his fortune has exceeded $500 billion, making him the richest person in history reports Forbes.

In December 2024, Musk became the first person in the world to cross the $400 billion mark, and now his capital is $150 billion more than that of his closest competitor, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Musk's significant increase in net worth was driven by Tesla shares, which rose almost 4% on October 1st, adding $9.3 billion to the businessman's fortune. Today, his stake in the company is valued at $191 billion, and Tesla's total market capitalization is only 10% below its all-time high. SpaceX also made a significant contribution to Musk's capital; in August, it reached a valuation of $400 billion. The entrepreneur owns approximately 42% of the company, equivalent to $168 billion.

In addition, Musk controls about $60 billion through xAI Holdings, a company that emerged after the merger of his artificial intelligence project xAI with the social network X.

Ukraine received €4 billion in aid from the EU

On Wednesday, October 1st, Ukraine received a new tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the amount of 4 billion euros, reported Ministry of Finance. The money came through the ERA Loans mechanism, and it is financed by the proceeds from the frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia in the EU.

These funds will go towards key needs of the state budget: social programs, military spending, and recovery projects. In particular, €2 billion from this tranche will be allocated to drones, in accordance with the agreements between Ukraine and the EU.

As of today, within the framework of the ERA mechanism, Ukraine has already received €14 billion out of the planned €18.1 billion, with the remaining amount expected by the end of 2025. In total, the mechanism provides for financing of $50 billion, part of which is guaranteed by the European Union.

Also on October 1, Naftogaz of Ukraine announced the signing of an agreement with the European Investment Bank for €300 million as part of the Ukraine Energy Rescue Plan. The funds, guaranteed by the European Commission, will be used to purchase imported gas to build up reserves for the heating season.

The EU will allocate 2 billion euros to Ukraine for drone production

The European Union will provide 2 billion euros for the development of drone production in Ukraine. This was announced said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on September 30 during a meeting with the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

"We need to provide military assistance to Ukraine. If we continue to consider Ukraine as our first line of defense, we need to strengthen our military assistance to Ukraine. In particular, we have agreed with Ukraine that a total of 2 billion euros will be spent on drones," emphasized von der Leyen.

According to her, this will not only increase production capacity in Ukraine, but also provide the EU with access to innovative drone technologies being developed in the Ukrainian defense sector.

Teahouse from Dnipro will be the first business to receive a grant for reconstruction after shelling

Teahouse, a company specializing in tea production and supply, will be the first business in Ukraine to receive a grant for reconstruction. This was announced Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

As a result of a Russian missile strike on Dnipro on the night of July 26, 2025, the company's production and storage facilities were completely destroyed by fire. No one was at the factory at the time of the attack, so there were no casualties among the staff. However, the company lost approximately 100 tons of tea, as well as workshops and equipment.

"To restore the equipment, Teahouse applied for a restoration grant. They became the first in Ukraine to receive it. The application has already been approved and is being prepared for issuance," said Svyrydenko.

In July 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers expanded the "Grants for Processing Enterprises" program to include support for businesses affected by Russian shelling. The grant amount can reach 16 million hryvnias, but cannot exceed the actually confirmed losses. The state compensates up to 80% of the costs; the remaining amount – at least 20% – must be provided by the entrepreneur. Therefore, to receive the maximum grant, the owner's contribution must be 4 million hryvnias.

Ukraine's state debt has set a new record — $192.7 billion

As of August 31, 2025, Ukraine's state and state-guaranteed debt increased by another $6.58 billion in dollar terms and by 177.41 billion hryvnias in hryvnia terms, reported Ministry of Finance.

The total debt reached a new high of 7.95 trillion hryvnias, or $192.7 billion. Specifically:

• External debt amounts to almost 6 trillion UAH ($145.1 billion), which corresponds to 75.34% of the total amount.
• Domestic debt is approximately UAH 1.96 trillion ($47.5 billion), or 24.66%.

Since the beginning of 2025, Ukraine's state debt has increased by 970.3 billion hryvnias, or $26.65 billion in dollar equivalent.

In April, the International Monetary Fund predicted that Ukraine's public debt would exceed 110% of GDP by the end of the year. At the same time, according to the draft state budget for 2026, the government expects the debt burden to be 106% of GDP at the end of next year.

Gold has broken through the historical barrier of $3800 per ounce — other precious metals are also rising in price.

On Monday, September 29, the price of gold on world markets exceeded $3800 per ounce for the first time, setting a new historical record. This was reports Reuters.

The increase is linked to expectations of lower interest rates in the US, the threat of a US government shutdown, and increased geopolitical tension.

As of 10:52 GMT, the spot price of gold rose by 1.5% to $3815.49 per ounce, while December futures reached $3845.70.

Meanwhile, the US dollar index fell by 0.2%, making gold more attractive to foreign investors. Analysts note that against a backdrop of economic and political instability, investors are choosing gold as a "safe haven".

According to UBS estimates, the price of gold could reach $3900 per ounce in the coming months. Overall, the precious metal's value has already increased by 45% in 2025, driven by active central bank purchases, a weak dollar, and growing investor demand.

Record growth is also being observed in the market for other precious metals:

• Silver rose by 2% to $46.90, its highest level in 14 years.
• Platinum rose 0.9% to $1583, its highest level in 12 years.
• Palladium is holding at $1269.

The Cabinet of Ministers has abolished the outdated list of medicines for first aid posts

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a decision aimed at simplifying access to necessary medicines for rural residents, reported Ministry of Health. This concerns the cancellation of the requirement to adhere to the minimum list of medicines, mandatory for first-aid stations (FAPs) since 2005.

Now, instead of a formal list of medications that has not been updated for almost two decades, the supply of medicines will be determined according to the real needs of the community.

According to the government, this decision removes unnecessary bureaucratic barriers, makes the system more flexible, and provides patients in rural areas with better access to the necessary medicines.

The mechanism will work as follows: a licensed pharmacy enters into an agreement with a first-aid station or a rural hospital, the medical staff collects orders from residents of the community, passes them to the pharmacy, and the pharmacy delivers the drugs to the first-aid station. Then the medical facility sells the medicines to patients.

To date, similar agreements have already been concluded between pharmacies and:

• 755 first aid stations and paramedic stations,
• 590 rural and district hospitals and outpatient clinics,
• 49 medical stations.