Ukrainian banks earned UAH 119.4 billion in net profit in the first nine months of 2025, which is 1.9% more than in the same period of 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) reported on Friday.
“In the third quarter, active lending remained a key factor supporting banks’ profitability,” the regulator said on its website, according to which net profit for the third quarter was the same as in the first two: UAH 39.9 billion against UAH 40.0 billion in the second quarter and UAH 39.5 billion in the first.
As noted by the NBU, net interest income grew by 15.0% over the first nine months of this year to UAH 198.42 billion, while net commission income grew by 9.9% to UAH 45.94 billion.
At the same time, the result of the revaluation of government bonds and currency purchase and sale transactions decreased by almost 31% to UAH 21.37 billion, while total administrative expenses increased by 19.7% to UAH 93.64 billion.
Over the first nine months of last year, banks increased their provisions by UAH 1.81 billion, while over the same period this year, they more than tripled to UAH 5.87 billion.
In the overall structure of banks’ income and expenses for the first three quarters of this year, the share of interest income increased to 71.1% from 68.7% a year earlier, while the share of interest expenses decreased to 33.5% from 33.7%.
As for the share of commission income, it also increased over the nine months of this year to 21.5% from 21.3% a year earlier, with the share of commission expenses decreasing to 14.7% from 14.8%.
At the same time, the share of general administrative expenses increased to 31.0% from 29.8%.
Income tax for the reporting period amounted to UAH 11.50 billion, compared to UAH 13.40 billion a year earlier.
“Despite sufficient capital levels, banks may face additional risks due to the introduction of an increased income tax rate in 2026,” the National Bank noted.
As reported, on October 21, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading bill No. 14097 on the return of the increased tax rate on bank profits at the level of 50% during 2026. 262 people’s deputies voted for the corresponding decision.
OpenAI has begun a phased rollout of an age verification system for ChatGPT users, in which some accounts are asked to confirm their age using a passport or other government-issued ID, according to company reference materials and user reports.
According to OpenAI’s new guidelines, ChatGPT uses an age prediction model to assess whether an account belongs to a user younger or older than 18. If the system determines that the user is under 18, additional restrictions on sensitive content are automatically applied to the account, and adults who have been mistakenly classified as teenagers can restore full access by verifying their age with a document.
In the published article Age prediction in ChatGPT, OpenAI specifies that in the event of an erroneous classification as under 18, an adult user can undergo verification by uploading a photo of their passport or other government-issued ID and a selfie via a Persona partner: after age confirmation, the account is switched to standard “adult” mode. The company separately notes that the feature is “rolling out gradually and may not be available yet” in some countries.
A separate help article, Why am I being asked to verify my age? describes an additional scheme for jurisdictions where age verification is required by law: when logging into ChatGPT, such users are shown a banner asking them to complete verification within 60 days, otherwise access will be blocked until the procedure is completed. For these checks, OpenAI uses a third-party service called Yoti, which, depending on the method chosen, may request a selfie, document upload, or verification via a mobile app.
The company explains that the development of the age prediction system and document checks is related to stricter requirements for the protection of minors when using AI services. In September, OpenAI announced the creation of a “separate experience” for users under the age of 18, where ChatGPT should not engage in flirtatious conversations or discuss topics related to causing harm, and in cases of clear threat to a teenager’s life, the system may notify parents or authorities.
OpenAI does not disclose the full list of countries and languages where the system is already active, limiting itself to the phrase “gradual implementation.” At the same time, users of English-language forums are reporting en masse that ChatGPT is asking them to provide ID and selfies, with some of them finding their access to the full functionality of the service restricted until verification or confirmation of their age is complete.
According to Serbian Economist, Serbia and Ukraine are intensifying cooperation in agriculture, trade, and technology exchange.
The Serbian side confirmed its interest in expanding imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, especially corn, wheat, oilseeds, and semi-finished products for the food industry. At the same time, they discussed increasing supplies of Serbian goods to the Ukrainian market, including meat, dairy products, feed, and planting material.
According to the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture, Kyiv and Belgrade are considering the possibility of creating joint logistics corridors that would allow them to bypass existing transit restrictions and speed up the movement of goods between the countries. Special attention was paid to the topic of plant protection, veterinary standards, and simplifying certification procedures for producers in both countries.
The parties also noted the potential for cooperation in the development of digital agriculture and agrotechnologies. Ukraine offered Serbian companies an exchange of practices on the use of drones, remote monitoring systems, and AI analytics to optimize agricultural production. The Serbian delegation, in turn, expressed its willingness to share its experience in organic farming and agricultural raw material processing.
During the meeting, the prospects for Serbian companies’ participation in programs to restore Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, including the modernization of grain storage, processing facilities, and logistics, were also discussed.
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of growing trade turnover: in recent years, the volume of bilateral trade in agricultural products has shown steady growth, and Serbia is becoming one of Ukraine’s key Balkan partners in the region.
The next meeting of the relevant ministries is expected to take place in early 2026, where the parties plan to present a roadmap for deepening cooperation in the agricultural sector.
On Thursday, an official ceremony was held at the presidential administration in Bishkek, attended by the head of state, Sadyr Zhaparov. During the event, participants symbolically pressed the launch button, after which 50 million USDKG tokens were released into circulation on the Tron network, each of which corresponds to one US dollar and is fully backed by gold reserves.
According to the report, USDKG is designed as a transparent, secure, and stable digital currency that combines the reliability of gold with the efficiency of blockchain technology. The launch of the stablecoin should strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s position in the global financial ecosystem and lay the foundation for the development of Web3 infrastructure and decentralized services through which government agencies and businesses will be able to interact based on blockchain solutions.
The presidential administration notes that the new instrument is designed to increase the country’s investment attractiveness by creating conditions for capital inflows and technological partnerships. The authorities expect that the availability of a stablecoin backed by real assets will strengthen confidence in financial innovations and demonstrate the possibility of combining digital tools with material support in the interests of sustainable economic development.
The issuer of USDKG is JSC “Virtual Asset Issuer” with 100% state participation. The ceremony was attended by Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Finance Almaz Baketaev and the company’s CEO Biibolot Mamitov, as well as representatives of the Gold Dollar project, who are involved in the technical and international aspects of the stablecoin’s implementation. In official materials, the project is positioned as the world’s first state-owned stablecoin backed by physical gold and pegged to the US dollar.
Timur Mindich and Alexander Zuckerman, suspects in the Midas case who are suspected of committing corruption crimes, have been declared wanted. The relevant data appeared in the Ministry of Internal Affairs database on November 22.
The suspects’ profiles are listed in the section “Persons hiding from pre-trial investigation authorities.” Mindich’s date of disappearance is listed as November 10, 2025, and Zuckerman’s as October 26, 2025.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has formed a delegation to participate in negotiations with the United States and other international partners of Ukraine, as well as with representatives of the Russian Federation. The delegation will be headed by the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak.
Decree No. 854/2025, signed on November 22, “On the Ukrainian delegation to participate in the negotiation process with the United States of America and other international partners of Ukraine, as well as with representatives of the Russian Federation, to achieve a just and sustainable peace,” is posted on the website of the Office of the President.
The delegation consists of nine high-ranking officials, including the head of the delegation, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, and Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov. It also includes Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov, Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleg Ivashchenko, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Yevhen Ostryansky, Deputy Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Poklad, and Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksandr Bevz.
According to the decree, Yermak, as head of the delegation, is authorized to make changes to the composition of the Ukrainian delegation in agreement with the President of Ukraine; to involve, in accordance with the established procedure, employees of state bodies, enterprises, institutions, organizations (in agreement with their heads), scientific advisers, and experts (with their consent) to ensure the work of the Ukrainian delegation.
