KIEV, March 25 – The surplus of Ukraine's balance of payments in February 2013 was estimated at $1.3 billion, while in February 2012 there was a deficit of $55 million, the National Bank of Ukraine said.

KIEV, March 25 – Ukrainian scientists have discovered a new hydrocarbon province close to Ukraine's Academician Vernadsky station in the west of Antarctica, according to a statement posted on the government's Web site with reference to the State Agency for Science, Innovation and Information Technology.

KIEV, March 25 - February was marked by a dip in the consumer confidence of Ukrainians, according to a monthly survey by GfK Ukraine.

The Consumer Confidence Index was 83.7 points, which is 1.2 points lower than in January.

BRUSSELS, March 26 – Kiev and Brussels will soon hold a high-level round table meeting, at which, among other matters, they will discuss the issue of a future gas transportation consortium.

KIEV, March 26 - The appearance of yellow spots on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kiev is caused by a high content of iron, manganese and humic substances, which subsequently formed yellow and brown ice - slush, the State Environmental Inspectorate.

KIEV, March 23 - Ukraine plans to hold tenders for production sharing agreements (PSA) for three hydrocarbon sections - Skifske and Foroske (both in the deep-water shelf of the Black Sea) and Slobozhanske (shale and central basin gas field in Kharkiv region) - in 2012.

KIEV, March 23 – State-run Lysychanskvuhillia (Luhansk region) faces a problem with coal sales, reads a posting on the Web site of the Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers.

KIEV, March 26 – Ukraine's state oil and gas company Naftogaz has allowed three companies to participate in the second stage of a tender to assess the value of the Ukrainian gas transport system.

KIEV, March 26 - Ukraine's Finance Ministry plans to place foreign currency bonds with a put option on the domestic market in April, the ministry's head of debt and international financial policy, Halyna Pakhachuk, said at an international treasury conference in Kiev organized by Top Dialog.

"We will soon offer the market medium-term paper in foreign currency with early redemption. Along with the coupon, which will be three- or six-month, we are planning to offer the right to tender for redemption," Pakhachuk said, adding that the duration of the bonds would be one to three years.

KIEV, March 24 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the long-term local currency and senior unsecured foreign currency debt rating of Bank Finance and Credit (F&C) to Caa2 from B1, and foreign currency bank deposit ratings to Caa2 from B2.