The national communications operator JSC Ukrposhta intends to comply with the National Bank of Ukraine’s (NBU) capital requirements by January 1, 2026, using its own resources, without recapitalization from the budget, according to the company’s CEO Ihor Smelyansky.
“Will Ukrposhta bring its capital into line with the new requirements by January 1, 2026, as required by the NBU resolution? Yes, it will. Does Ukrposhta need additional capital from the state to do this? No, it does not. This will be done with its own resources,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday evening.
According to him, as of June 1, 2025, Ukrposhta’s capital amounted to more than UAH 4 billion. At the same time, from the same date, the NBU changed the procedure for calculating capital, which, according to the CEO, “applies to everyone, but in practice, primarily to Ukrposhta.” As a result, after revising the approaches to capital assessment, the indicator for the company turned out to be negative – minus UAH 600 million.
Smelyansky also explained that Ukrposhta had not yet submitted documents to obtain the opportunity to open a bank because it had already had a negative experience with such attempts when trying to buy Alpari Bank, which was later liquidated. The CEO noted that the company’s shareholder, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development (Ministry of Development), the First Deputy Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Economy tried to find common ground with the regulator on how best to resolve this issue.
“Moreover, this topic was discussed last week during the IMF mission, so, of course, we did not do anything that could raise questions from our partners,” Smelyansky added.
According to him, at meetings attended by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Development, and representatives of the NBU, it was agreed that Ukrposhta would submit a joint action plan with its shareholder, which would have to be approved by the NBU, and only then would it submit a package of documents in accordance with the approved plan.
“Did Ukrposhta submit a project jointly with its shareholder? Yes, it has. Has the final meeting taken place? No, it has not. Moreover, it has already been postponed three times by the NBU. Does it make sense to submit documents to the bank without an approved plan? No, it does not. Why? Because the regulator has such broad powers that it can reject any documents for any reason,” Smelyansky added.
As reported, this week, National Bank Chairman Andriy Pyshnyy said that the central bank had approached the government in response to a request regarding the fiscal risks it sees in connection with Ukrposhta’s attempts to acquire a bank.
“We have identified the possibility of the need to recapitalize Ukrposhta… The owner of a significant stake must meet the requirements set forth in the legislation: be financially capable, have a well-developed corporate governance system, and have a clear understanding and strategy for the bank. We are waiting for the supervisory board, the owner of Ukrposhta, whose functions are performed by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, to provide the relevant documents,” he said on September 11.
Earlier, Smelyansky stated that, despite opposition from the National Bank, the launch of a financial inclusion bank remains a priority goal and task for the national communications operator JSC Ukrposhta.
In the first half of 2025, Ukrposhta increased its revenue by 5.4% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 6 billion 505.0 million, reducing its net loss by 27.2% to UAH 311.8 million. However, the company ended the first half of this year with negative capital of UAH 101.6 million, compared to UAH 210.2 million at the beginning of the year.
Oil prices rose moderately on Monday morning after last week’s gains.
The price of November Brent futures on the London ICE Futures exchange rose by $0.36 (0.54%) to $67.35 per barrel at 8:18 a.m. Last Friday, the contract rose by $0.62 (0.93%) to $66.99 per barrel.
WTI crude oil futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) electronic trading platform rose by $0.36 (0.57%) to $63.05 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, the value of these contracts increased by $0.32 (0.51%) to $62.69 per barrel.
Both brands rose in price by more than 1% over the past week.
Market participants are following news of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, including large refineries and export terminals.
“Attacks on Russian energy infrastructure could reduce exports of Russian oil and refined products,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
IG analyst Tony Sicamore noted that if Ukraine continues to attack Russian export infrastructure, global oil price forecasts will be revised upward.
Meanwhile, data from oilfield services company Baker Hughes showed that the number of active oil rigs in the US increased by two last week to 417. The number of gas rigs remained unchanged at 118.
Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed an agreement on a $246.5 million loan under the SURGE program “Supporting Recovery through Sound Fiscal Management,” the Ministry of Finance reported on Saturday.
“It is planned that by the end of 2025, $229.7 million will be allocated to the general fund of the state budget. Part of the loan, amounting to $16.8 million, will be used to capitalize interest in order to reduce the cost of servicing Ukraine’s credit obligations in the coming years,” the Ministry of Finance specified.
The project aims to support the Ukrainian government’s efforts to create an effective public investment management system in the context of post-war recovery and reconstruction, improve fiscal management at the local level, improve medium-term and program budgeting at the local level, and administer revenues, according to the release.
According to the release, the funds will be drawn from the Target Fund for Providing Ukraine with Necessary Credit Support (ADVANCE Ukraine), which is supported by the Japanese government. The agreement was signed by Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko on behalf of Ukraine and Bob Som, Regional Director for Eastern Europe, on behalf of the World Bank.
The SURGE project has been implemented in Ukraine since 2024. During this time, the World Bank has signed agreements with Ukraine for $760 million in financing under the project, including $10 million in grant funds. It is being implemented using the Program-for-Results (PforR) financial instrument, which is based on the achievement of specific indicators linked to payments.
Dog and cat owners over the age of 50 show a slower decline in cognitive function compared to those who do not have pets. This is according to the results of a large-scale European study published in the journal Scientific Reports (Nature).
Scientists have found that dog owners retain their memory longer, while cat owners lose their speech activity more slowly. Researchers attribute this to several factors. Interacting with animals requires constant engagement and serves as a kind of “mental training.” For example, contact with a dog activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, enhancing attention and emotional response. Cats, thanks to their unpredictability, stimulate areas associated with speech and thinking.
Ownership of birds or fish, as the study showed, had no statistically significant association with slowing cognitive decline.
The analysis was based on data from eight waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) between 2004 and 2022. The sample included people aged 50 and older. Cognitive functions were assessed in two main areas: episodic memory (the ability to remember and reproduce both immediate and delayed events) and executive functions (e.g., verbal fluency—the ability to quickly select words from a specific category).
According to the authors, the results obtained may be useful in developing policies in the field of “healthy aging.” In particular, this refers to supporting programs that facilitate the conditions for elderly people to keep pets, as well as including this topic in government and social initiatives for care and psychological support.
Kazakhstan has issued its first 10-year residence permit under the Digital Nomad Residency program. The recipient is Pavel Filatov, a senior analyst and BI (business intelligence) specialist with international experience. The Astana Times
The program has been in effect since January by decree of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and is aimed at attracting leading specialists in digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Applications are submitted online through the Astana Hub international innovation cluster. The cluster’s specialists accompany candidates through all stages, from submitting documents to obtaining a residence permit in accordance with Kazakhstani law. To date, more than 270 applications have been received from about 20 countries (the US, Canada, France, Turkey, CIS countries, etc.). Most applicants are professionals in programming, cybersecurity, UI/UX design, and DevOps.
Kazakhstan also offers two types of visas for remote workers:
The Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Ukraine organized a diplomatic reception to mark the 34th anniversary of the country’s independence.
The celebrations were attended by heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine, representatives of state authorities, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Mishchenko, representatives of the Moldovan diaspora, cultural and educational figures.
The guests observed a minute of silence in memory of all those who died in the Russian-Ukrainian war, after which the national anthems of Moldova and Ukraine were played.
Opening the event, Valeriu Cîver, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Moldova to Ukraine, thanked the participants for their attention to this important event for his country and congratulated Romanian speakers on the recent holiday—Romanian Language Day, which was celebrated for the first time in Ukraine this year.
“Since the beginning of this year, the President of the Republic of Moldova has visited Ukraine twice, and our leaders have met many more times during international summits. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has made three visits, the last of which took place in August for talks with colleagues from Ukraine and Romania. After that, we agreed that this trilateral cooperation would be officially named the “Odessa format,” symbolizing our common desire for dialogue and partnership,” Kiver said.
According to him, bilateral relations between Moldova and Ukraine have made significant progress in the fields of energy, infrastructure, education, and culture. Among the achievements are joint projects in the field of energy security, cross-border initiatives for the development of trade and transport, the signing of an agreement on the mutual recognition of higher education diplomas, and the holding of joint cultural events.
“Moldova remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity against the unjust war waged by the Russian Federation,” the ambassador emphasized.
He added that this evening was a symbol of the strong friendship between the Moldovan and Ukrainian peoples and a reminder of the need for joint efforts for peace and prosperity in the region.
On behalf of the Ukrainian government, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleksandr Mishchenko delivered a congratulatory message on Moldova’s Independence Day.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine were established on March 10, 1992. The Moldovan Embassy in Kyiv began operating in 1993, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Chisinau in 1999. The current Moldovan Ambassador to Ukraine, Valeriu Civer, presented his credentials and officially took office in June 2022.
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