Politics & Economics

President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov to coordinate government officials, regional administrations, and energy companies in procuring additional air defense systems, in particular to shoot down Shaheds. According to Ukrinform, the Head of State reported this on Telegram following the Staff meeting, where preparations for the heating season were discussed. “I instructed the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, to coordinate government officials, regional administrations, and energy companies on the procurement of additional short- and medium-range air defense systems, as well as on increasing funding for drone manufacturers. The priority is intercepting “shaheds.” Reports…

The charter plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Bulgaria on Sunday indeed encountered GPS signal interference during its landing at Plovdiv airport. This was reported to journalists in Brussels during a briefing by European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà, in response to a request to comment on related media reports, Ukrinform’s correspondent reports. “We can confirm there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safe. We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” Arianna Podestà, deputy spokesperson of the Commission, said. When asked whether the…

An extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held in Brussels on Monday, September 1, due to Russia's massive attacks. This was announced on social media X by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Ukrinform reports. "An extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held today in Brussels at the request of Ukraine and in response to Russia’s recent massive air attacks. We anticipate a focused discussion on joint steps to adequately respond to Russia's rejection of peace efforts and escalating terror against Ukrainians," the Foreign Minister stated.  He thanked NATO and all allies who continue to strongly support Ukraine.…

Kyiv and its partners seek to end Russia’s war as soon as possible, but not at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this in an interview with ZDF, according to Ukrinform. “I am preparing myself inwardly for this war to last a long time. Efforts are being made through intensive diplomatic initiatives to end the war as quickly as possible, but this cannot be at the price of Ukraine's capitulation. Because then the state would lose its independence. And then the day after tomorrow it will be us. That is not an option,” Merz said. When…

The leaders of two Bundestag coalition factions — Jens Spahn of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc and Matthias Miersch of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) — have arrived in Kyiv. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the DW, citing dpa. The visit marks the first joint trip of the CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary group leaders to Ukraine, and also the first Kyiv visit for both Spahn and Miersch. In the Ukrainian capital, they plan to hold talks on Germany’s continued support for Ukraine and on diplomatic efforts to end the war. “We are here…

As part of ongoing discussions around post-war security guarantees, European countries are preparing “pretty precise plans” for the possible deployment of troops in Ukraine, supported by the United States. This was stated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with the Financial Times, as reported by Ukrinform. “Security guarantees are paramount and absolutely crucial. We have a clear road map, and we had an agreement in the White House...and this work is going forward very well,” von der Leyen said. According to her, European Union countries are developing plans for a multinational troop deployment with American…

In the first half of 2025, large and medium-sized businesses in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries generated nearly UAH 4.2 billion in pre-tax profit, which is 71.6% higher than during the same period last year. These figures were published by the State Statistics Service, according to Ukrinform. The agency reported that in the first six months of this year, large and medium-sized enterprises in the sector earned UAH 4.193 billion in profit, amounting to 171.6% of the figure recorded from January to June of the previous year. At the same time, the share of unprofitable enterprises in the sector decreased from…

In Russia, metallurgical and coal enterprises are facing a deep crisis, showing significant declines in production. That is according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU), as reported by Ukrinform. The Russian metallurgical industry is experiencing a sharp decline: only 150 million tons of steel were produced in the first half of 2025. The closure of the Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant in Bashkiria and a 60% decline in production at Verkhnyaya Salda signal systemic degradation. Enterprises are moving to shortened working week and cutting wages, prompting an outflow of personnel to related fields. The loss of skilled metallurgists threatens the…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his appeal to end the war and killings in Ukraine. The head of state said this in a post on X, according to Ukrinform. "We fully share His Holiness's call for an immediate ceasefire and urge Russia to take real steps to end the killing and enable diplomacy," Zelensky wrote on X. He stressed that Russia must end the war it began and refuses to end. "It is critical that everyone in the world who values human life puts pressure on Moscow to force it to end terror…

Ukraine expects the G20 countries to take a strong and united position regarding Russia's attempts to drag out the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his nightly video address, Ukrinform reports. He recalled that two weeks ago in Washington it was stated that by this time the Russians should be ready for real negotiations — a meeting at the level of leaders. Ukraine, Zelensky stressed, is certainly ready for this. Russia, for its part, is doing only one thing — investing in continuing the war. "All their signals point to this. Now, during his visit to China, Putin will…