How we cee it. – August 2025 Digest

Škoda Continues Producing Cars in Kazakhstan. Many End Up in Russia

In 2023, a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Czech carmaker Škoda announced its return to the Kazakh market. Partnering with a local distributor, the company opened several showrooms and, more importantly, launched a new production line assembling vehicles locally.

But as Deník N has uncovered this week, a large portion of these cars ultimately end up in Russia—the very market Škoda exited in response to the war.

These are presumably among the few new European-made cars still available to Russian consumers today.

Škoda now ranks as the third most exported car brand from Kazakhstan to neighboring Russia. One in every four new cars exported between the two countries carries the Škoda badge, trailing only behind Hyundai and Kia.

According to the Russian market analytics firm Avtostat, at least 400 Škoda vehicles were exported in the first five months of 2025 alone, with the majority being large Kodiaq SUVs.

The availability of Škoda models in Russia has surged in recent months, largely due to the company’s renewed presence in Kazakhstan. Russian dealers are purchasing cars directly from Kazakh showrooms and transporting them across the border.

Škoda Auto had exited Kazakhstan in 2021 following the collapse of its local partner, but returned two years later to re-establish its operations.

Škoda was the fourth-best-selling car brand in the European Union during the first half of 2025 and ranks as the second strongest manufacturer within the Volkswagen Group by units sold.

With production facilities in Mladá Boleslav, Vrchlabí, and Kvasiny, Škoda employs over 35,000 people in the Czech Republic and remains one of the country’s most important companies.

Nordics Pledge €430M for Ukraine’s Defense

Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have committed a combined €430 million to Ukraine under the new US–NATO Prioritised Ukraine Requirement List mechanism, agreed with the U.S. President Donald Trump last month. The package will focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, ammunition supplies, and other critical equipment, though specifics remain classified for security reasons.

Sweden will provide the largest share at over €230 million, followed by Norway with €120 million and Denmark with €80 million. The announcement comes as Russian heavy strikes continue against Ukraine, with Swedish Deputy PM Ebba Busch declaring that “Ukraine’s cause is our cause.” This is the second major package under the new scheme, following the Netherlands’ earlier pledge of €500 million for US-made weapons destined for Ukraine.

Polish ElevenLabs Launches Music Generator

Polish AI startup ElevenLabs has been at the forefront of text-to-speech generation for years. Its success propelled it past the $3 billion valuation mark this February.

On Tuesday, the company announced it is delving into music generation, which it claims is ready for commercial use by customers.

ElevenLabs says it made deals with Merlin Network and Kobalt Music Group—two digital publishing platforms for independent musicians—to use their material for AI training.

It remains to be seen whether the company will face similar legal scrutiny from artists’ associations, as competitors Udio and Suno have.