Business

Nearly four years into the war, investment in Ukraine’s defense-tech ecosystem continues to rise, making it one of the few industries in the country experiencing growth. This raises a simple question for investors: why park your money in Ukraine?

At the height of its popularity, one of Ukraine’s fastest-growing and most secretive weapons manufacturers—Fire Point, known for successful long-range strikes, including the FP-1 drone and the pink-painted Flamingo missile—decides to set the record straight amid controversy and a growing rumor mill.

Gunvor, one of the world’s top oil traders, has pulled out of a deal to buy Russian oil company Lukoil’s foreign assets after the US imposed sanctions. The Treasury Department made clear: it will never approve the transaction unless Russian aggression in Ukraine ends. Gunvor claims it cut ties with Russia years ago, but US regulators aren’t convinced.

US President Donald Trump has sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil—Russia’s top oil giants—dealing what appears to be a major blow to their global operations. While the Kremlin downplays the move, early signs point to a very different story.

When the full-scale war began, businesses left Russia due to sanctions, while their departures across Ukraine were driven by the threat of Russian missile strikes. Now, big brands are coming back to Ukraine. Here’s how global companies are learning to operate under air-raid alerts—and sometimes, underground.

Ukraine began the war reliant on other countries’ weapons. Today, it builds its own fast, cheap, and battle-proven tech, and the very states that once supplied kits are now lining up to get a piece of the action.