The gross margin of UralmashSpetstal Ltd. (part of United Machine Building Works OMZ Spetsstal) increased by 3.4 times in January-June 2006 and reached the point of 214.6m RUR. This was due to 18% production growth and reducing the company’s outgoings. For example, the plant managed to halve its scrap metal consumption through improving their record-keeping and keeping track of the way burden material was used. The profit thus obtained will be used for upgrading the production process via putting up a modern differential thermal processing facility for rolls in 2007, buying two Skoda

Ural Airlines introduce more Africa-bound flights: thanks to the interline agreement signed by Ural Airlines and Emirates, the company is now able to perform flights to 12 African cities (including Nairobi (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South African Republic), and Tripoli (Libya)) via Dubai no only once a week (as it used to be in the summer) but two times a week, starting winter 2007. The carrier also flies from Yekaterinburg to Egypt five times a week, and the fuel fee for Hurghada- and Sharm-El-Sheikh-bound flights (since September 18 and October 15, respectively) has

Ural Airlines introduce more Africa-bound flights: thanks to the interline agreement signed by Ural Airlines and Emirates, the company is now able to perform flights to 12 African cities (including Nairobi (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South African Republic), and Tripoli (Libya)) via Dubai no only once a week (as it used to be in the summer) but two times a week, starting winter 2007. The carrier also flies from Yekaterinburg to Egypt five times a week, and the fuel fee for Hurghada- and Sharm-El-Sheikh-bound flights (since September 18 and October 15, respectively) has

Ural Airlines introduce more Africa-bound flights: thanks to the interline agreement signed by Ural Airlines and Emirates, the company is now able to perform flights to 12 African cities (including Nairobi (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South African Republic), and Tripoli (Libya)) via Dubai no only once a week (as it used to be in the summer) but two times a week, starting winter 2007. The carrier also flies from Yekaterinburg to Egypt five times a week, and the fuel fee for Hurghada- and Sharm-El-Sheikh-bound flights (since September 18 and October 15, respectively) has

Two oil-and-gas deposits have been put up to auction in Sverdlovsk Region, with a 25-year development license. Kedrovskiy deposit is to be sold on December 7, 2006, with applications submitted until November 21, 2006. The opening bid is 31m RUR. The deposit has 318m of explored gas reserves, 21bn cubic meters of gas in terms of probable reserves, and 3m tons of oil. Vostochnoye deposit is to be sold on November 30, with the applications submitted until November 9, 2006.

Two oil-and-gas deposits have been put up to auction in Sverdlovsk Region, with a 25-year development license. Kedrovskiy deposit is to be sold on December 7, 2006, with applications submitted until November 21, 2006. The opening bid is 31m RUR. The deposit has 318m of explored gas reserves, 21bn cubic meters of gas in terms of probable reserves, and 3m tons of oil. Vostochnoye deposit is to be sold on November 30, with the applications submitted until November 9, 2006.

Two oil-and-gas deposits have been put up to auction in Sverdlovsk Region, with a 25-year development license. Kedrovskiy deposit is to be sold on December 7, 2006, with applications submitted until November 21, 2006. The opening bid is 31m RUR. The deposit has 318m of explored gas reserves, 21bn cubic meters of gas in terms of probable reserves, and 3m tons of oil. Vostochnoye deposit is to be sold on November 30, with the applications submitted until November 9, 2006.

The debt of regional communal facilities to SverdlovEnergoSbyt, the local supplier, has come to 350,658,000 RUR in the seven months of 2006, that is, it has grown by 68%, reports the spokesperson for the company. The management of SverdlovEnergoSbyt started getting ready for the winter of 2006/2007 as early as at the end of the previous heating season. It held a number of meetings with the heads of most troublesome communal facilities in the summer, signed agreements on the debt-paying schemes, and received letters of guarantee in terms of paying off the debts. Ermak, the communal service of

The debt of regional communal facilities to SverdlovEnergoSbyt, the local supplier, has come to 350,658,000 RUR in the seven months of 2006, that is, it has grown by 68%, reports the spokesperson for the company. The management of SverdlovEnergoSbyt started getting ready for the winter of 2006/2007 as early as at the end of the previous heating season. It held a number of meetings with the heads of most troublesome communal facilities in the summer, signed agreements on the debt-paying schemes, and received letters of guarantee in terms of paying off the debts. Ermak, the communal service of

The first entities to obtain certificates of preparedness for the winter were the ones providing heat to Uralmash and Sortirovka districts of Yekaterinburg, reports the spokesperson for the local subsidiary of TGK-9, the power generating company. A special committee examined the equipment and the extent to which it could actually withstand the possible overloading; they also looked at how prepared the staff were. The committee consisted of the corporate experts and representatives of RAO UES of Russia and RosTechNadzor. Novo-Svedlovskaya power station got a certificate as well. According to

The first entities to obtain certificates of preparedness for the winter were the ones providing heat to Uralmash and Sortirovka districts of Yekaterinburg, reports the spokesperson for the local subsidiary of TGK-9, the power generating company. A special committee examined the equipment and the extent to which it could actually withstand the possible overloading; they also looked at how prepared the staff were. The committee consisted of the corporate experts and representatives of RAO UES of Russia and RosTechNadzor. Novo-Svedlovskaya power station got a certificate as well. According to

Ural Turbine Works (part of Renova Group) is going to put into operation its high-speed blade processing unit and hold the opening ceremony on October 2, 2006. ‘The need for equipment upgrading in the field of power engineering industry will be increasing dramatically in a few years’ time; this new unit will allow us to raise our output,’ says Deputy Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government Vladimir Molchanov. Introducing blade production is the key component of the plant’s five-year strategic development plan. The unit will produce 12,000 turbine blades a year and thus can fully meet the

Ural Turbine Works (part of Renova Group) is going to put into operation its high-speed blade processing unit and hold the opening ceremony on October 2, 2006. ‘The need for equipment upgrading in the field of power engineering industry will be increasing dramatically in a few years’ time; this new unit will allow us to raise our output,’ says Deputy Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government Vladimir Molchanov. Introducing blade production is the key component of the plant’s five-year strategic development plan. The unit will produce 12,000 turbine blades a year and thus can fully meet the

The Court of Chelyabinsk Region announced the bill of particulars regarding former Mayor of Snezhinsk Anatoliy Oplanchuk and his accomplices (four more people) today. According to the spokesperson for the Court, the parties set up a few pleas this morning, including the petition of Sergey Minyaev’s counsel concerning transferring the case back to the public prosecutor due to violations of the law (the accused had not been informed about the former director of Snezhinskiy Fund classed as the victim’s representative before the papers were placed with the court). The judge took some time to

The Court of Chelyabinsk Region announced the bill of particulars regarding former Mayor of Snezhinsk Anatoliy Oplanchuk and his accomplices (four more people) today. According to the spokesperson for the Court, the parties set up a few pleas this morning, including the petition of Sergey Minyaev’s counsel concerning transferring the case back to the public prosecutor due to violations of the law (the accused had not been informed about the former director of Snezhinskiy Fund classed as the victim’s representative before the papers were placed with the court). The judge took some time to

‘The price of the established kilowatt should not exceed $1200; these are the internationally applied standards, and the cost of the station can be calculated by multiplying its capacity by its size. With the projected capacity of 4,000 megawatt, the cost of the station can be estimated at $4.8m,’ Director of South Ural nuclear power plant Vladimir Morozov announced at the press conference. ‘The project received 287m RUR in the 1980s, and the money was used to complete the design, the capital development, and putting up houses in the town of Ozersk. Yet 30% of the investments went astray as

‘The price of the established kilowatt should not exceed $1200; these are the internationally applied standards, and the cost of the station can be calculated by multiplying its capacity by its size. With the projected capacity of 4,000 megawatt, the cost of the station can be estimated at $4.8m,’ Director of South Ural nuclear power plant Vladimir Morozov announced at the press conference. ‘The project received 287m RUR in the 1980s, and the money was used to complete the design, the capital development, and putting up houses in the town of Ozersk. Yet 30% of the investments went astray as

‘Mayak Production Association of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, is the world’s second largest producer of radioactive isotopes nowadays. 48% of the global market belongs to Canadian Nordin International, and a 20-21% share of the market is controlled by Mayak. This means that Russian nuclear power industry is going strong alongside with the leading global powers,’ General Director of the company Vitaliy Sadovnikov announced at the press conference held in Interfax-Ural Information Agency. ‘As for South Ural nuclear power station, even though is has not been contructed yet, it is already a part

‘Mayak Production Association of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, is the world’s second largest producer of radioactive isotopes nowadays. 48% of the global market belongs to Canadian Nordin International, and a 20-21% share of the market is controlled by Mayak. This means that Russian nuclear power industry is going strong alongside with the leading global powers,’ General Director of the company Vitaliy Sadovnikov announced at the press conference held in Interfax-Ural Information Agency. ‘As for South Ural nuclear power station, even though is has not been contructed yet, it is already a part

‘The public prosecution authorities of Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous District are going to set up a plea for the reversal of judgment involving former Chairman of EuroGreen Ilya Gaffner based on the excessive leniency of the sentence,’ Public Prosecutor Nikolai Vetyugov said to UrBC representative. ‘I must admit that the sentence really was too lenient; arrears of wages on a scale like this have grave social consequences,’ Mr Vetyugov said. The Court of Noviy Urengoy sentenced Mr Gaffner to three years on parole with a 12-month probation period; his charge concerned violation of Article 145 of