The net loss of OAO Mechel (calculated in accordance with the Russian Accounting Standards) amounted to 19.674bn RUR in 2011 (compared with 42.929bn RUR in 2010), the company’s report says. The company’s revenues shrank by 5.6 times and amounted to 8.51bn RUR, while its gross profit decreased by 5.3 times and came to 7.7bn RUR in 2011. The enterprise’s pre-tax loss reached 20.08bn RUR last year against 42.03bn RUR worth of profits in the year before.

Chelyabinsk Region division of Rosprirodnadzor detected fourteen violations of the existing environmental law while inspecting ZAO Uralbroiler, the environmental agency’s press service reports. The company was given orders to eliminate the violations. The enterprise is now involved in eight administrative lawsuits.

The mobile carrier MegaFon and Yota signed an agreement on the joint development of Long Term Evolution (LTE), the fourth-generation mobile communication service, in Russia; this LTE will be based on the business model employed by MVNO, Mobile Virtual Network Operator, MegaFon’s press office reports. Under the terms of the agreement, MegaFon will be able to provide the fourth-generation LTE communication services using Yota’s equipment, while Yota will be able to use MegaFon’s network infrastructure.

Extra Balance Corporation no longer has a stake in OAO Oil Plant. According to the data provided by the Republic of Seychelles-based company, the corporation used to hold a 10.498829% shareholding in this Yekaterinburg-based plant.

Before 2020, it is most expedient to work on the high-speed railway link headed for the Urals (the so-called VSM 2 meant for passenger trains traveling at the speed of up to 350 to 400 kph) on the Nizhniy Novgorod-Kazan-Yekaterinburg section, Interfax refers to the interdepartmental work team in charge of VSM 2 development as reporting. The section connecting Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod will become even speedier in the future, before 2030. Starting July 30, 2010, Sapsan trains travel this route at the speed of up to 240 kph. What is more, by 2020 the high-speed VSM will connect Moscow and