Despite hybrid warfare between Russian and Ukraine, Russian investments keep flowing into Ukraine. More so, in the first half of 2018 Russia has become Ukraine’s main source of foreign investments, according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
Over six months of the running year, Russian investments in Ukraine reached $436 mio or 34% of the aggregate foreign investments ($1,259 mio). Other large investor countries are Cyprus ($219 mio), the Netherlands ($207 mio), Austria ($58 mio) and Poland ($54 mio).
More than half of Russian investments went to the financial sector. Other industries attracting Russian investors are trade, manufacturing and telecommunications.
Russia has therefore significantly improved its status among other foreign investors in Ukraine, since it was only third according to the first half of 2017 results.
That is happening despite the efforts of the Ukrainian government to discourage Russian investments. There were reports that Ukraine’s authorities have drafted a new package of sanctions against 19 Russian companies involved with construction of the bridge from mainland Russia to Crimea. Earlier, Vadim Rabinovich, Supreme Rada deputy, stated that curbing trade with Russia will ruin Ukraine’s economy.