You're reading: Monday’s headlines: Novinsky wins elections in Sevastopol; NBU reserves dip in June; Local official beaten to death in Donbas region

Billionaire Vadim Novinsky has won the elections in district 224 in Sevastopol with 53.4 percent of the vote, writes Zerkalo Nedeli. He earlier said that he would join the Party of Regions if he won. A naturalized Ukrainian citizen, born in Russia, Novinsky is the chairman of Smart Holding and is active in the steel and petroleum product sectors. In March 2013, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.9 billion, making him the fourth richest man in Ukraine.

The National Bank of Ukraine’s foreign currency
reserves fell almost 6 percent in June,
writes
Kommersant. As a result, reserves now stand at a six year low of $23.2 billion.
The main drivers of the fall were external debt redemptions as well as reduced
capital inflows into the country. Experts believe that further repayment of the
International Monetary Fund’s loans, as well as other obligations, could drive
reserves below $20 billion before the end of the year, increasing devaluation
pressures.

Unidentified men beat Party of Regions local
official Oleksandr Aksonov, resulting in his death
, writes
Tyzhden. According to local media reports, on Saturday night Aksonov had barred
a road with his tractor to local heavies, who got out of their car and beat the
local official.

Svoboda says it has decided to form a government of national alternatives, writes Ukrainska Pravda. The details of the decision are unclear, but the party adopted the proposal during a meeting of its political council in Kyiv on July 5. In addition, the party’s political council summed up the work of the faction in the Parliament during the second session and discussed future plans.  

If signed
by the president a law on means of transport, passed by parliament last
Thursday, could see prices of imported
cars rise significantly
, writes
Kommersant. The law foresees additional duties on such cars, which according to
the business daily could fluctuate between Hr 4,700 and Hr 30,000 for new
passenger vehicles, between Hr 9,400 to Hr 60,500 for used ones.