Politics & Economics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed into law a bill that increases Ukraine's state budget for 2024 by UAH 500 billion for military needs. That is according to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukrinform reports. The law was signed by the head of state on September 20. On September 18, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law increasing the country's budget for 2024 by UAH 500 billion for military needs. Some 298 MPs voted for this decision. Read also: Ukraine's GDP up by 3.5% in August - economy ministry Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that these funds would be used to pay…

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine expects that the state budget revenues will increase by about 30% in 2025. The relevant statement was made by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at a regular meeting of the Ukrainian government, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Last week the Government approved the draft state budget for 2025. Today, this document has been presented in the Verkhovna Rada. We expect that the budget revenues will increase by about 30% and expenditures – by almost 20%,” Shmyhal noted. In his words, Ukraine’s defense and security sectors are the main priority. Hence, a total of UAH…

The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during its 68th session approved a resolution "Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine," co-authored by 52 member countries of the agency. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. The resolution reaffirms that Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine. The IAEA called for the urgent withdrawal of all unauthorized military and other personnel from Ukraine's ZNPP and for the plant to be immediately returned to the full…

In the Kirovohrad region, business entities have obtained six grants worth UAH 10.348 million as part of the grant support programs, ‘Own Orchard’ and ‘Own Greenhouse’. Other programs are also being implemented successfully across the region. The relevant statement was made by Director of the Department for Agro-Industrial Development at Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Valeriia Furmanova in a commentary to Ukrinform. “The grant support programs, ‘Own Orchard’ and ‘Own Greenhouse’, have given impetus to the development of horticulture and greenhouse production in the region. Today, as part of such programs, local business entities have been provided six grants worth UAH…

The European Commission has developed a plan to support Ukraine this winter, which focuses on repairing the country's energy infrastructure, further connecting Ukraine to the European electricity grid, and stabilizing flows of energy through the country. She said this during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "The Commission has developed a winter plan for Ukraine, which I presented yesterday in Brussels together with Fatih Birol, the director of the International Energy Agency that also stands by your side. The Commission's plan is built around three priorities. The first…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the European Union will provide Ukraine with a EUR 35 billion loan backed by the windfall profits from immobilized Russian assets. She said this during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "You need to keep the state and the economy running and, at the same time, bolster your defense capacity against Russian aggression. We have been supporting you since the very beginning with over EUR 118 billion from Europe to date. But Russia's relentless attacks mean further support…

Three out of five sugar refineries that declared readiness to start the production season are already running in the Vinnytsia region and have produced 21,000 tonnes of sugar. The relevant statement was made by Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent. “As of today, three out of five sugar refineries are running. They have processed 170,000 tonnes of raw materials and produced 21,000 tonnes of sugar,” the report states. According to the regional authorities, as of September 20, 2024, sugar beets were gathered from 4.6 thousand hectares across the region, which is more than 7% of…

The area of crop fields destroyed by Russian attacks has reached about 130 hectares in the Kirovohrad region, and the total amount of losses is UAH 5.1 million. The relevant statement was made by Director of the Department for Agro-Industrial Development at Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Valeriia Furmanova in a commentary to Ukrinform. “In 2024, agricultural enterprises in the region suffered three fires within farmlands, resulting from missile attacks (downed missiles/falling debris), of which two affected wheat plantations, and one – corn harvest residues,” Furmanova told. In her words, the area of crop fields destroyed in fire was about 130…

Ukraine’s gas transmission system is capable of removing obstacles between the markets of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Balkans, as well as increasing the security of supply in Europe. The relevant statement was made by Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC (GTSOU) CEO Dmytro Lyppa during the 19th Energy Community Gas Forum, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the company’s press service. “Bottlenecks between systems prevent the natural gas delivery and make the CEE market vulnerable to price risks. Connecting Ukraine to the Vertical Corridor initiative under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy and commissioning…

From March to August, Russia executed ine waves of large-scale, complex, and coordinated attacks on energy facilities in 20 regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv. This can cause power outages lasting from 4 to 18 hours per day in the upcoming winter. This was stated by the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Danielle Bell, who spoke at the presentation of the report on attacks on energy infrastructure and negative consequences for the civilian population to representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, reports an Ukrinform correspondent. Bell noted that the report focused on this…