On February 1, Bulgaria ended its transition period for currency change, during which it was possible to pay in both Bulgarian levs and euros. Now, payments are made exclusively in euros, according to the Bulgarian service of Radio Liberty.
“At midnight on January 31, the one-month period during which the euro and the lev were in simultaneous circulation in Bulgaria ended. From February 1, merchants no longer accept payments in levs and must give change only in the single European currency,” according to a statement on the publication’s website.
People who still have cash levs can exchange them for euros at commercial banks and Bulgarian Post offices until June 30. After that date, commercial banks may set a certain exchange rate, but the Bulgarian National Bank will continue to offer cash lev-euro exchanges free of charge and without a deadline.
Retail chains will have to display prices for goods in both euros and levs for another six months, until August 8, “for transparency and to prevent speculative practices.”
Although the law prohibits sellers of goods and services from raising prices during the first six months of the euro’s introduction, hundreds of complaints about possible violations have already been received.
Bulgaria joined the eurozone on January 1, 2026, 18 years after joining the EU. January was a transition period when the lev and the euro were in circulation simultaneously.
Kharkivoblenergo JSC is convening an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, which will be held remotely in the form of a poll, with the date of the meeting set for February 27, 2026 (the date of completion of voting).
According to the announcement, the meeting is being convened by Ukrainian Distribution Networks JSC, which owns 166,754,183 ordinary registered voting shares of the company (65.0010% of the total number of ordinary registered shares and more than 50% of voting shares).
The list of shareholders entitled to participate in the meeting will be compiled on February 24, 2026 (as of 23:00). Ballot voting will be accepted from 11:00 on February 17 to 18:00 on February 27, 2026; ballots on issues other than the election of bodies are planned to be posted on February 17, and the ballot for cumulative voting on the election of bodies is planned to be posted on February 23, 2026, on the website of the meeting initiator.
The draft agenda includes issues on the early termination of the powers of the current members of the supervisory board, the election of new members of the supervisory board by cumulative voting, the approval of the terms of civil law contracts with members of the supervisory board and the amount of their remuneration, as well as compensation to the initiator of the meeting for the costs of organizing and holding the meeting.
Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy technologies, has introduced Schneider StarCharge Fast 720— a next-generation charging solution for electric vehicles (EVs) designed for commercial and industrial sites, as well as fleet operators. The system delivers up to 720 kW of power and enables simultaneous charging of up to 12 vehicles, meeting the growing demand for electric vehicles in Europe.
With 97% efficiency, Schneider StarCharge Fast 720 sets a new standard for performance and sustainability for EV charging infrastructure. Dynamic load management ensures optimal charging for different types of vehicles—from electric trucks and buses to passenger cars—helping drivers get back on the road quickly.
The solution’s decentralized architecture provides unparalleled flexibility: operators can place up to six dispenser modules within an 80-meter radius of the power cabinet equipment, creating scalable configurations for any site. This design minimizes grid connection requirements, simplifies installation, and reduces noise levels, providing a better user experience.
Schneider StarCharge Fast 720 also includes full lifecycle support, from installation to customized maintenance plans, with 24/7 support and remote monitoring via EcoStruxure Energy Asset Portal by Schneider Electric. This ensures maximum availability and cost-effectiveness for operators.
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The record daily volume of electricity imports to Ukraine in January was 41.987 GWh, the Ministry of Energy reported on Sunday in Telegram.
“This support was made possible by the expansion of transmission capacity: in January, the power limit for imports from the EU was set at 2,450 MW, which is an absolute record since Ukraine joined the ENTSO-E network,” the ministry said.
It is noted that this helped to maintain the system and reduce the deficit amid Russian attacks and severe frosts.
As reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as of January 16, electricity consumption in Ukraine was 18 GW, while the capacity to provide it was “11 GW or so.”
In December 2025, Express Insurance settled 235 insurance claims under compulsory civil liability insurance (CMTPL) for a total of UAH 10.3 million, which is 13% more than in November of the same year, according to the insurer’s website.
It is also noted that in 47% of cases, the victims filed insurance claims with the participation of the police, and another 53% were filed under the Europrotocol procedure, with the maximum compensation amounting to UAH 131,500. Among the insurance claims settled in December, the largest payment involving the police was UAH 250,000.
“This structure of settlements indicates an increase in drivers’ confidence in simplified procedures for reporting traffic accidents and their active use in practice,” the information emphasizes.
In total, over the 12 months of 2025, the number of settled insurance events under MTPL amounted to 2,442 thousand for a total amount of UAH 102.9 million.
Express Insurance LLC was founded in 2008 with the participation of the leader of the Ukrainian automotive market, UkrAvto Group. The company specializes in auto insurance.
The company is represented in more than 60 points of sale throughout Ukraine and is actively expanding its network of partner service stations. Today, the number of service station partners exceeds 100.
In an evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian negotiating team will hold a preparatory meeting tomorrow to agree on the framework for future negotiations and all organizational details, and on Monday, February 2, will travel to the United Arab Emirates to participate in trilateral negotiations scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
“There was a report from our negotiating team. An agreement has already been reached on a trilateral meeting at the appropriate level. This meeting will take place next week, as planned, on Wednesday and Thursday. In the Emirates, as last time,” Zelensky emphasized.
Zelensky added that a meeting is scheduled for Monday to agree on the framework for the talks and prepare for the negotiations, and the team will set off on Monday evening.
“Many leaders and different countries are with us in this process, supporting Ukraine, and we are coordinating on a daily basis. In February, we will be quite active in foreign policy, and starting tomorrow, we will have contacts and meetings,” the president said in a statement.
