Serhiy Koretskyi
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Russian drone strike hits commuter train in Kharkiv Oblast, killing one
On 18 September, Russian forces struck a suburban electric train near the Lypkuvativka platform in the Novovodolazka hromada of Kharkiv Oblast with a Geran-4 jet drone. One person was killed and several others injured, even though Ukrzaliznytsia's monitoring group had detected the threat and ordered an evacuation before impact.
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EU to send Ukraine additional €3.3 billion for missiles and drones
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, after a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the EU would allocate an additional €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones, to be disbursed on Friday, 18 September, under the Ukraine Support Loan program. The announcement was paired with a proposed new joint EU–Ukraine defense initiative, funded through remaining SAFE program funds, aimed at developing a European air and missile defense system based on the joint Freya/Freyja anti-ballistic system.
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Norway to allocate 1 billion kroner through EU's Ukraine Facility, first non-EU contributor
Norway announced on September 17 that it will allocate 1 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately 90–92 million euros) through the EU's Ukraine Facility mechanism to support Ukraine's state budget and reforms in anti-corruption and energy. Norway becomes the first non-EU country to contribute to the mechanism. The announcement was made during European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos's visit to Norway.
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Zelensky orders return of asset declarations for rear-echelon security officials, signs call-center fraud law
On 16 September 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the preparation of a decision to reinstate mandatory asset declarations for law enforcement officers and Security Forces members who are not at war, in a scope sufficient to monitor their property and lifestyle. In the same address he signed a law introducing criminal liability for fraudulent call centers and ordered a vetting of all heads of central executive bodies, citing high corruption risks at the tax service, ARMA, and various inspectorates.
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Von der Leyen announces EU–Ukraine joint missile defense, Patriot procurement and SAFE-funded program in State of the Union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her 16 September State of the Union address to announce that the EU will jointly develop an affordable modular missile defense system with Ukraine based on the Freyja project, launch a new program for joint projects with Ukrainian defense companies using remaining SAFE funds, and urgently deliver American Patriot interceptor missiles newly procured for Ukraine. She framed the package as the EU's strongest-ever support for Ukraine ahead of what she described as the harshest winter of the war.
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Ukraine's government submits 2027 draft budget to parliament: defense at 44% of GDP, $52.6 billion external financing required
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and submitted the draft State Budget for 2027 to the Verkhovna Rada on September 15, 2026. The bill, registered as No. 16000, allocates 4 trillion 885 billion hryvnias (about 43.8–44% of GDP) to defense and security, projects total expenditures of 7 trillion 272 billion hryvnias, and identifies an external financing requirement of $52.6 billion, of which only $20 billion has been confirmed by partners.
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Ukraine to receive $841 million in World Bank budget support backed by Canada
Ukraine will receive $841 million in World Bank budget support under guarantees from the Canadian government, with the funds earmarked to reimburse state pension expenditures. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced the disbursement via Telegram, calling it extremely important and timely given the budget deficit. The payment comes as Ukraine works to finalize documents needed to unlock $29.5 billion in international financing this year.
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Ukraine risks losing part of $29.5 billion in foreign financing without parliamentary votes, PM Koretsky warns
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky warned that Ukraine risks losing a significant portion of an anticipated $29.5 billion in international financing if the Verkhovna Rada delays the required legislation, and said the government will send parliament a schedule with clear deadlines for each vote. He described the country's state finances as close to critical and said the government plans to complete its own share of 42 commitments by October 15, having accelerated the timeline from the previously announced November 1 deadline.
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Ukraine plans $2–3 billion war-risk insurance fund for businesses, partly funded by VAT hike
Ukraine's Minister of Economy Oleksandr Kravchenko announced plans for a $2–3 billion insurance fund to compensate businesses for losses from Russian attacks, with payouts targeted to begin on January 1, 2027. The government proposes funding part of the fund by raising VAT from 20% to 21%, a politically sensitive move that has not yet been finalized.
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Ukraine's PM outlines $56.5 billion in year-end financial needs, split between macrofinancing and defense
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told the Yalta European Strategy forum that Ukraine faces two urgent financial challenges by year-end: $29.5 billion in confirmed macrofinancing at risk of not being received, and an additional $27 billion needed for defense forces. The government pledged to finish its part of the work by mid-October, including submitting required draft laws in September and finalizing all Cabinet resolutions by October 15, while calling on parliament to pass 27 outstanding bills.
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Ukraine better prepared for winter energy strikes than last year, PM tells YES forum
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told the YES 2026 conference in Kyiv that Ukraine is significantly better prepared for Russian attacks on energy infrastructure than last winter, while warning that full protection is impossible and the coming months will be difficult. He outlined contingency planning and decentralized support for regions and said the government must prepare for a prolonged war, even if a ceasefire is reached.
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Zelensky calls on EU to strengthen sanctions on Russian business, names Fridman and Usmanov
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to increase sanctions pressure on Russian business and oligarchs, singling out Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov. His appeal came as Russia has launched nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine since the morning of September 12, and as EU ambassadors have again failed to agree on extending personal sanctions ahead of a September 15 deadline.
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Ukraine tells EU it needs additional $27 billion by year-end, prompting surprise in Europe
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European partners that Ukraine needs an additional $27 billion by the end of 2026 to cover a defence budget gap. The request, which came during a European visit for Ukraine's Independence Day, surprised officials who had agreed to a $100 billion-plus EU loan earlier in the year. European officials are now examining the size, causes, and justification of the deficit, while Ukraine is also seeking help from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan and pressing for the use of frozen Russian sovereign assets held at Euroclear in Brussels.
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Ukraine's government submits three more draft laws to parliament tied to international financing
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and sent to the Verkhovna Rada three draft laws needed to attract international financing and cover the state budget deficit. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky described the deficit situation as serious and called on lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation, to vote on the package as quickly as possible.
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Ukraine's 2027 budget has $32.6 billion uncovered financing need, finance minister says
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said the country's 2027 budget faces an uncovered financing need of $32.6 billion — the tightest budget situation since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. He called on European partners to seek additional sources of financing and presented a new proposal to redistribute roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian assets across all 27 EU member states.
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Ukraine's government submits four draft laws tied to €1.45 billion EU tranche
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and sent to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, four draft laws that are conditions for receiving the third €1.45 billion tranche of EU macro-financial assistance and are tied to broader obligations to the EU and IMF. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced the move, framing it as necessary for unlocking a significant portion of the $29.5 billion in expected partner assistance.
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Ukraine adopts tiered air-raid alerts, shorter Kyiv curfew to adapt to new Russian attack tactics
On 3 September, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers adopted a package of decisions to adapt civilian life, business operations and government services to Russia's evolving air-attack tactics. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced recommendations including a shorter curfew in Kyiv, a two-level air-raid alert system with distinct signals, continued metro operation during drone alerts, and a new state application built on the 'Diia' platform to centralize threat notifications.