According to The Serbian Economist, North Macedonia has signed a contract for the supply of American Javelin anti-tank systems. Defense Minister Vlado Misailovski said the delivery is expected in 2027.
This is part of a broader program to modernize the country’s military, which, following its accession to NATO, is gradually transitioning to Western weapons systems and equipment from its allies.
According to Misailovski, Boran artillery systems from Turkey, some Mistral 3 equipment, and all U.S. JLTV light tactical vehicles have already arrived in North Macedonia. The latest order of Stryker armored vehicles is expected to arrive at the port of Thessaloniki.
The minister also reported that the total value of agreements with the U.S. amounts to approximately 339 million euros. Among the new contracts, he mentioned light infantry weapons, Puma and Raven unmanned aerial systems, cybersecurity equipment, communications equipment, and air support equipment.
Two helicopters ordered from the Italian company Leonardo are expected to arrive by the end of the year. Previously, Skopje signed a contract for eight AgustaWestland AW149 and AW169 helicopters worth 249 million euros, including VAT.
North Macedonia is systematically restructuring its army in accordance with NATO standards and strengthening its mobility, anti-tank defense, artillery, communications, cyber defense, and aviation capabilities.
https://t.me/relocationrs/3147
The vast majority of sushi chains in Ukraine operate illegally, splitting into sole proprietorships (FOPs) to evade value-added tax (VAT), said Danylo Getmantsev, chairman of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax, and customs policy.
“Chains with billions in revenue in Ukraine do not legally exist at all and are completely fragmented into sole proprietorships. At the same time, these chains have state-of-the-art marketing and excellent websites through which they accept online orders and advertise their businesses. These chains claim to take a responsible stance, yet they do not pay taxes, which today go entirely toward the needs of the army,” the lawmaker emphasized in a YouTube video.
The committee chair stressed that the vast majority of sushi chains in Ukraine operate illegally, splitting themselves into individual entrepreneurs to evade value-added tax (VAT), despite having billions in revenue.
Getmantsev cited two examples of chains, including Osama Sushi, which has 170 locations in 91 cities. This chain is fragmented into 850 sole proprietorships operating under a simplified tax system. Last year, the company paid 1.4 million hryvnias to the state budget, and the year before that—139,000 hryvnias. At the same time, conscientious taxpayers in this industry, with a turnover four times smaller, pay 210 million hryvnias per year.
The lawmaker added that the losses to the state and local communities from the payment of salaries in envelopes within this network amount to 368 million hryvnias per year, since employees officially declare a salary of 8,000 hryvnias, while the industry average for a sushi chef is 44,500 hryvnias. Total annual losses from tax evasion by this chain are estimated at 1.5–2 billion hryvnias.
Another chain—SushiStory (formerly “Sushi Wok”), which currently has 54 locations in Ukraine—according to Getmantsev, employs 162 second-group individual entrepreneurs and three third-group individual entrepreneurs. The state’s losses from this brand’s operations amount to 272.5 million hryvnia per year.
The committee chair emphasized that the sushi market can be operated entirely “above board,” since there are companies in Ukraine that operate under a single legal entity and pay VAT.
Getmantsev reported that, along with the collected evidence, receipts, and photographic documentation, he has already officially appealed to the Economic Security Bureau (ESB) and the State Tax Service (STS) to conduct audits, and he also called on restaurant owners to stop the practice of “fragmenting” their businesses.
According to Experts.news, the Ukrainian passport ranked 65th in the Global Passport Index 2026, which evaluates citizenship based on three key areas: enhanced mobility, investment potential, and quality of life, according to the Global Passport Report 2026 by Global Citizen Solutions.
The report was published on the Global Citizen Solutions website with an update date of July 1, 2026. The study notes that the ranking covers 197 countries and territories and is calculated based on 14 indicators.
According to the index, Ukraine ranked 65th in the overall ranking, 63rd in terms of enhanced mobility, 79th in terms of the investment index, and 82nd in terms of quality of life. According to Global Citizen Solutions, a Ukrainian passport provides visa-free access to 89 countries; however, Ukrainian citizens need a visa to enter approximately 31 destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and a number of countries in Africa and Latin America.
Sweden topped the Global Passport Index 2026 with a score of 96.05 out of 100. It is followed by Switzerland, Finland, and Germany, while Denmark and the Netherlands share fifth place in the interactive table.
The bottom five countries in the ranking were Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan. Afghanistan remained in last place with a score of 23.10 points. The gap between the ranking leader, Sweden, and Afghanistan was 72.95 points.
The Global Passport Index differs from traditional passport rankings in that it is not limited to counting visa-free destinations. The index takes into account the quality of available destinations, the investment climate of the country of citizenship, and living conditions. This is particularly important for Ukraine, as the value of a passport under this approach is determined not only by travel opportunities but also by the perception of the country as a place for business, living, and long-term planning.
In practice, Ukraine’s result reflects a dual situation. On the one hand, the Ukrainian passport maintains relatively high mobility thanks to the visa-free regime with the EU and a number of other destinations. On the other hand, the investment and quality components of the ranking remain below the level of EU countries, which lowers the country’s overall position in the comprehensive citizenship index.
CITIZENSHIP, Global Passport Index, mobility, PASSPORT, UKRAINE
Greece has more than 2.2 million vacant homes, accounting for 34.5% of the country’s total housing stock—one of the highest rates in Europe, according to a study by the Parliamentary Budget Office based on data from the 2021 ELSTAT census.
The study’s authors note that the problem in the Greek housing market is linked not only to a lack of new construction but also to the low utilization rate of existing housing stock. While the total number of residential properties increased by 3.5% between 2011 and 2021, the number of homes available for long-term rent decreased by 10.4%, and those listed for sale fell by 33.1%. The number of inactive vacant properties—those not offered for either rent or sale—rose to 1.81 million.
The category of vacant housing includes not only potential properties for purchase or rent, but also second homes, summer cottages, older housing stock, properties in rural areas and on islands, as well as real estate taken off the market due to legal, inheritance, or technical issues. Among the reasons why housing does not return to the market, the study cites inheritance disputes, unclear ownership status, legal complications, high renovation costs, low energy efficiency, and limited demand in certain regions.
For investors, this market structure creates opportunities primarily in the segments of older housing stock, redevelopment, and renovation. Properties that remain vacant due to owners’ reluctance to invest in modernization may enter the market at a discount; however, their investment appeal depends on the total cost after renovation and the potential market price upon sale or long-term lease.
Government support for renovation could be an additional factor. Greece is preparing a housing modernization program worth approximately 500 million euros, which is intended to help return some of the vacant properties to the housing market. According to Greek media reports, the program provides subsidies for repairs and energy efficiency, and eligibility checks are to be conducted via the gov.gr platform.
At the same time, investors should factor in the risk of price adjustments. According to the study’s authors, if the share of vacant and inactive housing returns to 2001 levels within approximately six years, real housing prices in Greece could fall by 15.5–24.6%. This does not imply an automatic collapse of the entire market; however, overvalued properties and locations with limited demand may prove to be the most vulnerable.
The Greek real estate market continues to appreciate for now, but the pace of growth is slowing. According to the Bank of Greece, apartment prices rose by 5.7% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, following increases of 8.1% in 2025 and 9.1% in 2024. In Athens, growth in the first quarter was 5.2%, and in Thessaloniki, 6.4%.
Relying solely on short-term rentals and the Golden Visa program as the sole rationale for a transaction remains a risk. Research indicates that the impact of short-term rentals on the market as a whole may be limited; however, in central areas of Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as popular tourist destinations, they are increasing pressure on the long-term housing market. Therefore, a high-quality asset is not a property purchased solely for a residence permit or Airbnb purposes, but rather a property with a clear legal history, an estimated renovation cost, and sustained demand once it is brought to market.
Number of dead and wounded civilians in Ukraine from 24.02.2022 till 28.02.2026 un data
The State Agency of Ukraine for the Development of Land Reclamation, Fisheries, and Food Programs (State Fisheries Agency) held, through the “Prozorro.Sales” system, 179 auctions for the sale of commercial fishing rights to aquatic biological resources, which generated nearly 44 million hryvnias, according to the agency’s press service.
“Proceeds from the sale of lots are directed toward replenishing local budgets, and the additional revenue generated by the increase in the starting price during electronic auctions will be used for stocking water bodies. Thus, transparent competition not only fills the budgets but also guarantees funding for measures to restore aquatic biological resources,” the press service quoted Igor Klymenko, head of the State Fisheries Agency, as saying.
According to the agency, of the total amount, over 41.5 million UAH will be allocated to local budgets, while nearly 2.5 million UAH—generated by increases in the starting price during the auctions—will be used to restore the fish populations in these bodies of water.
The largest number of contracts were concluded for fishing rights in the Kremenchuk (50), Kamyanske (26), and Kaniv (21) reservoirs, as well as in the lower Dniester and the Dniester Estuary (16) and on the Danube (15).
In total, 246 lots for the right to commercially harvest aquatic biological resources have been formed for 2026.
AUCTION, CATCH, PROZORRO.SALES, reservoirs, State Fisheries Agency
