Ukraine is currently experiencing double pressure: water is becoming scarcer and its quality is deteriorating, according to Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev.
“Industry, the agricultural sector, and community development depend on access to water, so effective management of its quantity must be one of the key instruments of state policy. It is important for businesses to understand where water is available in order to plan the location of production facilities and reduce the risk of shortages,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the head of the Ministry of Economy, 4,074 million cubic meters of water are taken from surface sources, which is half as much as in previous periods. The structure of use is as follows: industry – 70.5%, housing and communal needs – 22.1%, irrigation – 4.2%, others – 3.2%. Sobolev noted that in recent years, water consumption by industry has decreased by 1.9 times, housing and communal services – by 1.5 times, and irrigation has fallen more than ten times – as a result of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine, in particular the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, which provided water supply and irrigation in the south.
“The goal of our changes is to build a system where every cubic meter of water is accounted for and decisions are made based on real data, not assumptions, as the basis for a modern, transparent, and balanced water policy,” the minister said.
He noted that the state water cadastre for surface water accounting has now been updated. Also, over the past year, large-scale digitization has been carried out: more than 80,000 water objects have been digitized, including 60,000 reservoirs and 19,000 rivers.
In 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated UAH 34 million to support 10 agricultural enterprises operating on reclaimed land in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Sumy, and Cherkasy regions, according to a statement by the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture on its Telegram channel.
The ministry specified that the program has ensured the irrigation of 2,500 hectares of agricultural land and expressed confidence that this will increase the sustainability of agricultural production in the face of climate risks and military challenges.
“Investments in land reclamation are investments in the development of agricultural production. Thanks to state mechanisms, farmers can restore irrigation infrastructure, use land more efficiently, and plan production cycles even in difficult conditions,” said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Iryna Ovcharenko, whose words are quoted in the report.
The Ministry of Economy reminded that state support provides for compensation for the costs of reconstruction and/or construction of land reclamation systems. The maximum amount of payments is UAH 26,500 per 1 hectare of land where hydraulic reclamation is carried out.
The fixed Internet provider market paid 48.5% more taxes to the state budget in January-November 2025 than in 2024—UAH 6.1 billion, according to Danylo Getmantsev, head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax, and customs policy, in a Telegram post on Friday.
According to his data, personal income tax (PIT) and military tax (MT) increased by 61% to UAH 1.9 billion, income tax by 25.8% to UAH 0.6 billion, and value added tax (VAT) amounted to UAH 3.27 billion, which is 58.1% more than last year.
The VAT payment rate also increased by 1.1% to 9.71%.
The average salary in the fixed Internet sector increased by 26.9% and amounted to UAH 17,900 in October 2025, Getmantsev noted.
“At the same time, some operators have not stopped fragmentation, and the work of the BEB to stop crimes in this area and bring those responsible to justice has not yet become systematic,” said the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax, and customs policy.
According to the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications and Postal Services (NCCEC), revenues in the fixed Internet market grew by 3% in the first half of 2025, to UAH 12.1 billion, average revenue per user (ARPU) increased by 3.5% to UAH 237.8, and the number of lines decreased by 0.5% to 8.4 million. There were 2.5 million lines in rural areas, which is 7.1% more, and fixed Internet access increased to 17,000 settlements (excluding TOT).
The peak of tax authorities’ activity is expected to occur in the spring.
The State Tax Service has planned 4,500 audits for 2026. Most of the attention of tax authorities will be focused on companies — 78%. Most inspections are planned for spring. Kyiv and the surrounding region, Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions lead in terms of the number of visits by tax authorities. Ukrainian business leaders are also on the State Tax Service’s list.
The State Tax Service has planned 4,558 inspections this year, which is 5% less than last year. The peak of tax authorities’ activity is tentatively scheduled for March and April. However, tax authorities will make the fewest visits at the beginning of the year: only 278 inspections.
Follow the updates on the tax audit schedule page.
Who should expect tax audits?
This year, the State Tax Service plans to focus most of its attention on companies, which account for 78% or 3,542 of the planned audits. In every fifth case, guests from the tax authorities should be expected by sole proprietors — 1,016 inspections. However, only 258 inspections are planned for businesses with issues related to personal income tax, military tax, and social security contributions.
There are not that many “problematic” companies on the list: five businesses are facing bankruptcy proceedings, three companies are in the process of being shut down, and one company is trying to restore its solvency through reorganization.
The largest number of audits awaits companies in the wholesale trade and agriculture sectors — 21% each. Businesses engaged in food production are in third place in terms of demand from tax authorities, with 5% of inspections.
The most active will be the tax authorities of the capital and the region — 1,067 inspections, Dnipropetrovsk region — 372, and Lviv region — 264 inspections.
Traditionally, the State Tax Service will also visit the country’s largest businesses. The list includes companies that are among the top ten in their field according to the 2025 Index. These are Naftogaz of Ukraine, Kamet-Steel, MHP, Rozetka, and NOVUS.
On the night of January 1, a major fire broke out at Le Constellation bar during New Year’s celebrations in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana (canton of Valais). According to updated data from the authorities, about 40 people died and another 119 were injured, many with severe burns.
As reported by representatives of the Valais cantonal police at a briefing on January 2, 113 of the 119 victims have already been officially identified. Among them are 71 Swiss citizens, 14 French citizens, 11 Italian citizens, 4 Serbian citizens, and one citizen each from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, and Portugal. The nationality of 14 other victims is still being determined.
A detailed breakdown of the nationalities of the victims has not yet been officially published, as identification is still ongoing. However, the Italian Golf Federation has reported the death of 16-year-old athlete Emanuele Galepini; Reuters has named him as the first confirmed Italian citizen among the victims.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine has not yet received confirmation of the presence of Ukrainian citizens among the dead or injured; the Ukrainian Embassy in Switzerland is in contact with local authorities and law enforcement agencies.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing; among the versions discussed by the media with reference to the investigation is the use of sparklers/spark candles during service in the crowded establishment.
According to Serbian Economist, the Serbian Ministry of Education has announced the financing of educational materials for migrant schoolchildren, including the translation and adaptation of materials into Ukrainian, as the language barrier remains one of the key challenges in integrating children into the education system.
Education Minister Dejan Vuk Stankovic noted that more than 5,500 migrant and asylum-seeking students have consistently passed through the Serbian education system. According to him, the ministry continues to support schools where migrant children study: mentors and external consultants are involved, and teaching materials are translated into the students’ native languages, currently Ukrainian and Arabic.
Stankovic reported that as part of this work, training events were held for more than 4,000 educators, teachers, principals, and support specialists, and more than 70 schools received support through grants. In addition, more than 3,000 individual support plans have been prepared and more than 10,000 additional classes have been held; support measures also included the distribution of books, textbooks, and school supplies.
The ministry also noted that the work on translating materials and supporting schools is being carried out with the participation of international partners. However, the amount of expenditure and the number of textbooks printed or materials translated into Ukrainian were not disclosed in the ministry’s public statements.
