A person’s religious or other beliefs are not grounds for exempting them from criminal liability for evading mobilization, according to the Supreme Court.
“Ukrainian legislation does not provide for exemption from the obligation to perform military service upon mobilization based on religious or other beliefs,” the Supreme Court said in a statement on its website on Monday.
The statement notes: “Such beliefs cannot be grounds for exempting a person from criminal liability in the event of evading mobilization within the meaning of Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.”
This conclusion was reached by the Joint Chamber of the Cassation Criminal Court within the Supreme Court following the consideration of case No. 573/838/24.
The Court informs that, based on the circumstances of the criminal proceedings, the courts of previous instances found the defendant guilty and convicted him under Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for the fact that, being fit for military service due to his state of health, he failed to appear at the Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCSPS) for referral to a military unit for the purpose of performing military service.
“In the cassation appeal, the defense attorney noted that the defendant had grounds for conscientious objection to military service, since such refusal was based on his sincere religious beliefs, incompatible with the performance of any military service, including non-armed service, as well as on his membership in the religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose doctrine categorically excludes the possibility of such service,” the statement said.
According to the Supreme Court, in assessing the cassation claims, the Joint Chamber noted that conscription may entail the performance of non-combat military duties that do not require the carrying and use of weapons (repair of equipment, evacuation of the wounded, construction of fortifications, etc.).
“The Joint Chamber recognized that the impossibility of refusing military service on the basis of conscience, as established by law, means that such a restriction must be applied in proportion to the objective pursued, even when defending the Fatherland from aggression,” the Court explained.
Thus, as noted in the statement, “conscription into military service does not automatically cancel the right to conscientious objection to carrying or using weapons.”
evasion, mobilization, Religious beliefs, responsibility, Ukrainian citizen
Japanese startup JPYC has launched the world’s first stablecoin pegged to the yen, Reuters reports.
The stablecoin is also called JPYC and can be fully converted into yen. It is backed by internal cash reserves and Japanese government bonds.
The company intends to issue JPYC worth 10 trillion yen ($66 billion) over three years and ensure widespread use of this cryptocurrency abroad.
To stimulate its circulation, JPYC does not plan to charge transaction fees at the initial stage. It will generate income from interest payments on government bonds.
“We hope to stimulate innovation by enabling startups to pay low fees for transactions and settlements,” Chief Executive Officer Noritaka Okabe told reporters.
Blockchain-based stablecoins are usually pegged to fiat currencies, allowing for faster and cheaper payments.
More than 99% of stablecoins in the world are pegged to the US dollar, according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Nikkei reported in October that Japan’s three largest banks — Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, and Mizuho Financial Group — would jointly issue their own stablecoins.
In September, nine European banks, including UniCredit and Raiffeisen, announced similar plans.
The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) has put up for online auction in the Prozorro.Prozori electronic trading system 100% of the state share in the subsidiary Atlantis-Pak Ukraine (Sofiivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv region) at a starting price of UAH 37.88 million (excluding VAT).
According to the SPFU, applications will be accepted until November 3, and the auction will take place on November 4.
The fund noted that Atlantis-Pak Ukraine is a subsidiary specializing in the wholesale trade of food, beverages, and tobacco products.
The company’s balance sheet includes four vehicles manufactured in 2022-2020. The company does not own any real estate. It has remaining packaging materials. As of 2025, the company has five employees. During the period from 2022 to 2024 and the first half of 2025, Atlantis-Pak Ukraine sold products worth UAH 64.09 million.
According to the terms of sale, the buyer is obliged to ensure the repayment of wage arrears and budget debts within 6 months and not to allow the dismissal of employees.
“The subsidiary Atlantis-Pak Ukraine is an excellent project for business development and management. For the new owner, it is a successful investment object with great development potential,” the SPF noted.
On October 24, the National Energy Regulatory Agency of Moldova (ANRE) held an open meeting of the Board of Directors, during which it approved a 50% reduction in tariffs for gas transportation to Ukraine.
“During the meeting, the Board approved amendments to Decision No. 272/2025 on the optimization of the ”Route 1″ capacity product on the Trans-Balkan pipeline, following a joint initiative submitted by natural gas transmission system operators from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The initiative aims to strengthen regional energy security and ensure natural gas supplies to Ukraine,“ according to a statement on the ANRE’s official website.
”The approved changes provide for the extension of the Route 1 product for 6 months (November 2025 – April 2026), a 50% reduction in transportation tariffs for SRL “Vestmoldtransgaz” at the Kaushen and Grebeniki interconnection points, as well as the extension of the capacity product to all relevant interconnection points along the route. A 50% reduction in transportation tariffs is also provided for by the Romanian transmission system operator SA “Transgaz,” ANRE explained.
“With this decision, the Republic of Moldova is strengthening its role as a regional transit corridor, facilitating the transportation of natural gas from Greece to Ukraine and contributing to the diversification of routes and sources of supply. In the long term, transportation volumes are expected to increase, and as a result, the associated tariffs will decrease for users of the transport system operated by SRL Vestmoldtransgaz,” the statement emphasized.
Romania and Moldova have reached an agreement on the construction of a new road bridge across the Prut River, according to a government press release from Bucharest. Under the terms of the memorandum signed by the Romanian government, the project provides for:
– the creation of a new road crossing to strengthen cross-border communication between the two countries and integrate Moldova into the EU transport network (TEN-T).
– the formation of a joint working group and a mixed commission to coordinate technical, financial, and customs issues during the implementation of the project.
– financing from the Romanian budget: in the first phase of the design of four bridges across the Prut, approximately €0.22 billion is to be allocated for each section.
The implementation of the project will help reduce transport time and increase the capacity of roads between Moldova and Romania, as well as improve the overall logistics of the region and speed up transport flows, including between Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania.
