Thirteen journalists and an art director of the Ukrainian Forbes quit their jobs on Nov. 12 as a result of censorship attempts. Forbes Ukraine is a part of UMH, a media holdings with a portfolio of 5 brands, was recently bought in June by Serhiy Kurchenko, a young multi-millionaire.
The
$400-million deal was supposed to be closed by next spring, but was
in fact closed early this month.
The
journalists who quit the Ukrainian franchise complained about a
series of events that made it obvious there is a shift in the
editorial policy, former chief editor of Forbes.ua Oleksandr Ruban
told Ukrainska
Pravda. He said most lately chief editor Mikhail Kotov banned
journalists from writing about advisers to First Deputy Prime
Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, who is believed to be close to Kurchenko,
without explanation. Both are members of the so-called “family”
group of influential young businessmen and officials close to the
president.
In the meantime, Kurchenko’s energy holding VETEK announced on Nov.
12 that it bought an oil transshipment complex in Kherson. The deal,
which was estimated by Delo.ua
to have cost $10 to 20 million, gives Kurchenko an oil terminal with
two berths can accommodate vessels with a carrying capacity up to 10
tons.
Several members of the Party of Regions and representatives of
business appealed to President Viktor Yanukovych to postpone the
singing of an association agreement with the European Union this
month, writes Kommersant
daily.
In the appeal submitted by the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs and Federation of Trade Unions, their leaders and
representatives of business said that Ukraine’s business needs at
least another year before signing to adapt to European standards.
“Ukraine
expects hurdles in connection with the possible introduction of the
free trade zone with the European Union because according to many
parameters our economy cannot yet compete with the European,” their
appeal said.
Ukraine has tripled the volume of gas it ships from Poland in the
past week as it stopped buying from Gazprom at the same time, writes
Korrespondent.biz.
The shipments go through Germanovichi border point, which is capable
of pumping 4.8 million cubic meters of gas per day. Ukraine announced
earlier that it stopped buying gas from Russia’s Gazprom on Nov.8.
