According to the website of the Russian retail network Vester, it will open a hypermarket in Ternopil (Western Ukraine) in December 2007 with an area of 3,297 m2. It will be the retailer’s first presence in the Ukrainian market. Interfax reports that Vester plans to open 50 hypermarkets and 24 supermarkets with a total area of 307 ths m2 in 35 Ukrainian cities by 2011. Alexander Romanov: Vester appears to be entering Ukraine through the backdoor. By focusing on overlooked regions in Western Ukraine, the company can avoid competition with larger chains based mostly in Kyiv and Eastern Ukraine.