Construction of wind power stations in Crimea will allow to considerably increase own generation of electric energy, it was said during a meeting of Crimean Prime Minister Viktor Plakida with President of the French Company Beten Ingenierie Jean Roche.

Commercial seaports (18 ports) over 11 months cut down transshipment of freights against the same period of 2008 by 18% to 99.96 million tons, the Odesa commercial seaport's press service informs.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is not planning to propose to Verkhovna Rada (parliament) a candidacy for the post of the National Bank Chairman, Oleksandr Shlapak, first deputy head of the President's Secretariat, told a press conference.

The Bethlehem Torch has been handed over to the Ukrainian churches at the Ivan Honchar Museum.

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine has allowed Cyprus-based Halfona Investments Limited to buy a stake in Drohobych Truck Crane Plant in Lviv region that will ensure the buyer has over 50% of votes in the higher management body of the

Ukrainian swimmer Darya Stepanyuk finished third at the Salnikov Cup international swimming tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Heavy snow and snowstorms have left 335 towns and villages in 12 regions of Ukraine and Crimea without electricity.

Despite some traffic restrictions caused by adverse weather conditions almost all over Ukraine, the traffic on public-access roads and railway is available, the Transport and Communications Ministry has reported.

Turkey is ready to cancel its visa regime with Ukraine if the latter takes a similar step with respect to Turks, Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Ahmet Bulent Meric has said in an interview with the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Mirror Weekly) newspaper.

As of December 21, the events to prepare Ukraine for the 2012 European Football Championship have been financed by 40% of the sum envisaged by the special state program, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Vasiunyk says.

The losses of the Ukrainian enterprises in 2009 will exceed profits by 20%, says the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Oleksandr Shlapak.

The crew of the Korsun ship has been evacuated onboard the Illichivsk tugboat Titan after it had gone aground in the Danube River, Old Istanbul mouth, on December 20.

The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations of Ukraine (ACCROU) has called on the believers and clergymen of all confessions not to participate in a political agitation on behalf of the churches and religious organizations, reads the ACCROU address

The National Bank of Ukraine will hold on December 25, 2009 a special auction for the sale of Swiss francs and euros, the NBU press service reported.

In November 2009, the rate of unemployment in Ukraine settled at 1.8%, the same as in October, the State Statistics Committee reported.

President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek will pay an official visit to Ukraine on December 21-22, the Verkhovna Rada's press service has reported.

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has reorganized Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz from a state company into a public joint-stock company, according to a government resolution.

The Alfa special police unit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is fully prepared to participate in a naval operation on the protection of ships from pirates, SBU Chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko has said.

The Ukrainian Credit-Banking Union Association forecasts that the mortgage market may be 15% down due to making amendments to some laws, the Association's press service informs.

A delegation of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is studying experience of the Stasi archives in Berlin, SBU chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko has said.