Topic: Government
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Ukraine PM puts 2025 business damage from Russian strikes at $7.7 billion
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said Russian attacks caused $7.7 billion in direct damages to Ukrainian businesses this year and destroyed or damaged more than 1 million square meters of warehouse, production, and logistics space. In an interview with BBC Ukraine, he said the economy is still functioning and outlined government relief measures, including transferring state premises to firms and adjusting the subsidized "Affordable Loans 5-7-9%" program. He also said the state has stepped in to partially compensate losses that vessels entering Ukrainian ports cannot insure internationally.
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Ukraine's PM says Russia struck energy infrastructure 2,147 times since his appointment
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said in a 19 October interview with BBC News Ukraine that Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure 2,147 times since his appointment on 16 July, with not a single day passing without strikes. His comments came hours after a missile attack overnight damaged 10 facilities and left more than half a million families without electricity, and despite the energy ceasefire announced on 11 October.
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Lviv street sweepers quit as State Treasury blocks over 1 billion hryvnias in city payments
Street sweepers in Lviv have begun quitting their jobs because they are not being paid, mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, blaming a freeze on city payments by the State Treasury Service. He appealed to the Ukrainian government to release more than 1 billion hryvnias in blocked funds, and by the evening of 19 October the Treasury had begun processing payments submitted up to 21 September, with about 20% of critical requests cleared.
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Ukraine's EU integration deputy PM opposes competition for Prosecutor General
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Vsevolod Chentsov said in an interview with Yevropeiska Pravda that he sees neither the necessity nor the possibility of holding a competition for the position of Prosecutor General, arguing that EU requirements do not mandate such a competition and that no European practice of one exists. His position contrasts with a parliamentary draft law on competitive selection submitted earlier in the year and with a KMIS poll showing 69% of Ukrainians support an independent competition with foreign experts for the post.
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Ukraine's EU deputy PM says relations with Hungary have 'turned the page' after Zelensky-Magyar meeting
In his first interview in Brussels after the EU summit, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Vsevolod Chentsov said Ukraine and Hungary have "turned the page" in their relationship, ending a period when Hungary created obstacles on Ukraine's path to the EU. He spoke after President Volodymyr Zelensky met Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on October 16 and after Chentsov and Andriy Sybiha held a separate meeting with Anita Orbán, with both sides framing the encounter as the start of a bilateral reset.
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Russia launches massive combined missile and drone attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in 10 oblasts
In the night of October 17, Russia struck energy infrastructure across 10 Ukrainian oblasts with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and 332 strike drones, one of the largest composite attacks recorded. Air defense intercepted 293 aerial targets, but direct hits were recorded at 22 locations. President Zelensky said more than 15 power generation and transmission facilities were hit and characterized the attack as a deliberate attempt to cause a nationwide blackout.
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Austrian chancellor calls for "transparent" explanation of Ukraine's budget deficit figures
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said he is "surprised" by the range of conflicting figures being cited about Ukraine's financing and called for the causes of Ukraine's budget deficit to be "transparently explained." His remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a European Council meeting the war will cost €155 billion next year and Ukraine needs at least €70 billion more in EU defense aid, while the European Commission says Ukraine has no budget deficit for 2026. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky cited specific 2027 financing needs and attributed the gap to rising war costs and unmet partner commitments.
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Russia launches massive new campaign of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities
On 16 October, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly reported to Vladimir Putin that Russia had begun a dedicated campaign of massive strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Overnight into 17 October, Russian forces hit energy facilities in 10 oblasts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying more than 15 power generation and transmission sites were damaged in one of the largest such strikes on record.
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Ukraine anti-corruption agencies complete investigation into ex-justice minister Stefanishyna
NABU and SAPO have finished the pre-trial investigation into former Vice Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who is suspected of illicit enrichment of more than UAH 13.9 million and of filing false declarations. The case file has been opened to her defense for review, after which court hearings are expected to begin. The case centers on two Kyiv apartments worth nearly UAH 11 million, an undeclared apartment in the Lvivska Ploshcha complex, and an undeclared Mercedes-Benz.
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NABU suspects Ministry of Justice forensic experts of false valuation for SBU official's wife
Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAP have notified forensic experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise (KNDISE) of the Ministry of Justice that they are suspected of producing knowingly false conclusions about the market value of an elite apartment belonging to the wife of a senior Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) official. The case centers on an apartment bought for 21.6 million UAH whose contract value was recorded at 12.8 million UAH, and on a subsequent KNDISE expertise that valued it at 12.3 million UAH. NABU says the experts ignored a recall of their appointment and backdated the conclusion, using the case to push for an independent expert institute under its own authority.
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Ukraine says five countries ready new aid packages; UK pledges £17m for Chernobyl shelter
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said in an interview with Ukrinform that Ukraine has confirmation of new aid packages from at least five countries, covering energy, humanitarian, and defence needs, with volumes still being finalised. Separately, the UK announced £17 million ($22.5 million) for repairs to the Chernobyl confinement shelter damaged by a Russian drone strike the previous year, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss air defence and sectoral cooperation, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a Brussels visit meeting allied European and NATO leaders.
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Ukraine sets national rules for schooling during prolonged air raid alerts
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a decision on how schools should organise learning during extended air raid alerts, announced by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi on 15 October. Each school will choose its own model — classroom, shelter-based, or blended in-person and distance learning — based on local security conditions and shelter capacity, with certain core subjects prioritised when space is limited.
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EU seeks additional partners to close Ukraine's 2027 financing gap
At IMF and G7 meetings in Bangkok, EU officials are recruiting additional partners to help cover Ukraine's 2027 financing shortfall. EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the EU's €45 billion pledge for 2027 will not be enough and that Brussels is approaching Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom to contribute the rest. German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil also stressed Germany's continued support, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky put the 2027 budget financing gap above $32.6 billion.
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EU Commission announces new working group on Ukraine's accession, to be led by Koretsky
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced ahead of the 15 October EU summit in Brussels that the European Commission plans to create a new working group within her services to support Ukraine on its path to EU membership. The working group is to be headed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky. Kos identified financing, military assistance, and sustaining Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression as three priority areas, and did not specify the group's powers or start date.
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Ukraine simplifies medicine import checks after Russian strikes on pharmaceutical warehouses
Ukraine's government has simplified control procedures for imported medicines to speed up delivery to pharmacies and hospitals following Russian strikes on pharmaceutical warehouses. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced the new rules via Telegram, saying state oversight and quality requirements remain unchanged.
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Ukraine's parliament adopts new property valuation law, unblocking $4.2 billion EU tranche
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a comprehensive law that fully replaces Ukraine's 2001 property valuation framework, aligning it with European and international standards. The reform is one of four decisions required to release a $4.2 billion second tranche of EU macrofinancial assistance under the Ukraine Support Loan program and is linked to Ukraine's IMF Extended Fund Facility obligations.
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Klitschko tells Rada Kyiv is ready for winter, blames central authorities for criticism and blocked payments
Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko appeared in the Verkhovna Rada on 14 October 2026 after MPs summoned him the day before to report on the capital's preparations for the heating season. He rejected accusations that Kyiv was unprepared, catalogued generators, boiler houses and other backup measures, and turned on the central authorities, accusing them of "constant slaps" and of freezing funds. The session came after President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly criticised Kyiv's city government earlier in October for nearly missing Resilience Plan deadlines.
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EU allocates €2.86 billion to Ukraine for air defence, drones, and missiles
On 14 October, the European Commission allocated a €2.86 billion tranche to Ukraine from the defence component of the 90 billion euro Ukraine Support Loan for 2026–2027. The funds are earmarked for air defence systems, drones, missiles, radar stations, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen citing Ukraine's most urgent operational needs and continued Russian air attacks.
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EU opens two more clusters for Moldova and Ukraine on the same day
On 13 October, the EU opened the "Internal Market" and "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth" clusters in Moldova's accession negotiations at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, bringing Moldova to four of six clusters open. On the same day, the EU Council opened two clusters in Ukraine's negotiations after the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved amendments to the education law to lift Hungary's veto.
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Polish president accuses PM Tusk of exaggerating Russian threat for political gain
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said in an interview with Rzeczpospolita that the level of Russian threat has not significantly changed in the past six months and accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of using that threat for personal political gain. Tusk responded on X, thanking Nawrocki for his honesty, and the two leaders' offices traded further barbs in a public dispute with direct implications for Poland's alliance standing and domestic threat assessments.