The number of applications for Armenian citizenship in 2025 exceeded 32,000, marking the highest figure in the history of the independent republic, with a significant portion of the increase attributed to Russian citizens of Armenian descent. This was reported by Armen Gazaryan, Acting Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia.
By comparison, in 2023 and 2024, the number of applications exceeded 20,000 per year, whereas previously the average was about 7,000–8,000 applications annually. Thus, over the course of a few years, the number of people seeking Armenian citizenship has increased approximately fourfold compared to the previous average.
Gazaryan directly linked this shift in trend to the start of the war in Ukraine and the subsequent travel restrictions imposed on Russian citizens. According to him, the majority of Russian citizens applying for Armenian citizenship are ethnic Armenians, so the increase primarily concerns the large Armenian diaspora in the Russian Federation.
However, the data published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not mean that all 32,000 applications were submitted by Russians. During the press conference, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not disclose a detailed breakdown of the 32,000 applications by current citizenship.
Gazaryan cited obtaining a second document for international travel as one of the main reasons for the increased interest. In his assessment, in some cases, Armenian citizenship is effectively used as an additional tool for mobility by people who maintain their primary residence and vital interests outside of Armenia. This is particularly true for Russian citizens of Armenian descent following the introduction of visa and other restrictions on Russian passports.
Armenia permits dual citizenship, so obtaining an Armenian passport does not in itself require a Russian citizen to renounce their Russian citizenship.
Against the backdrop of a record number of applications, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to amend the current rules. Gazaryan noted that the requirements for individuals of Armenian descent are now significantly simpler than the standard naturalization procedure for foreigners. In fact, the main condition for this category of applicants is to provide documentary proof of Armenian descent.
On the official portal of the Migration and Citizenship Service, the documents listed as proof of origin include, in particular, birth certificates and documents belonging to parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters that indicate Armenian nationality, as well as properly executed documents from religious or foreign government authorities.
Gazaryan considers the near-total absence of additional requirements to be a problem for the institution of citizenship itself.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is already preparing a draft of legislative changes; however, specific new conditions—such as mandatory residence in Armenia, knowledge of the language, or other requirements—have not yet been officially announced. Therefore, it is premature to say that restrictions have already been introduced.
The revision of the rules is also taking place against the backdrop of Armenia’s dialogue with the European Union regarding visa liberalization. Gazaryan noted that citizenship issues are part of a broader list of institutional reforms that Yerevan is discussing with the EU.
At the same time, the number of foreigners who wish not to obtain a passport but to officially reside in Armenia is growing. According to Nelli Davtyan, head of the Migration and Citizenship Service, 9,534 applications for one-year temporary residence permits were received, of which 6,059 were approved. The number of applications and permits issued is nearly three times higher than in previous periods.
Demand for three-year residency status is also growing: in the first half of 2026 alone, 2,085 applications were submitted, whereas previously the number for an entire year typically ranged from 1,500 to 1,700.
At the same time, in the first half of 2026, Armenia recorded a positive net migration balance for its own citizens: the number of arrivals exceeded the number of departures by 1,347 people, whereas in previous years, a negative balance of approximately 20,000–22,000 people was recorded for the same period.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ figure reflects the number of applications, not the number of passports already issued. An application may still be under review, may require additional documents, or may result in a different decision.
In addition, the statistics include various categories of applicants. For example, the process of obtaining Armenian citizenship by displaced persons from Karabakh remains a separate, large-scale process. At the same press conference, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that tens of thousands of such individuals have already received Armenian citizenship.
The volume of cash inflows to banks’ teller windows in the first half of 2026 increased by 8.9% compared to the same period in 2025—to 1 trillion 554.8 billion UAH, while the volume of cash disbursements rose by 8.7% to 1 trillion 602.4 billion hryvnias, according to statistics from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“The increase in cash inflows to bank teller windows was driven by a revival in economic activity starting in the second quarter of this year and sustained consumer demand amid rising household incomes, particularly wages and pensions,” the National Bank noted on its Telegram channel on Monday.
The regulator attributes the rise in hryvnia cash withdrawals from bank teller windows to heightened security risks caused by airstrikes and the destruction of industrial, energy, and residential infrastructure, which sustained public demand for cash.
In the first half of 2026, the largest share of cash withdrawals from bank teller windows, as before, came from customer transactions using payment cards—85.5%, or 1 trillion 369.7 billion hryvnias.
Banks’ purchases of foreign currency from customers accounted for 4.9%, or 78.9 billion UAH; cash replenishments for postal operators accounted for 3.4%, or 54.9 billion UAH; and payments of salaries and scholarships accounted for 2.2%, or 34.6 billion UAH.
The main sources of cash inflows to bank teller windows remained retail sales proceeds—31.4%, or 488 billion UAH—and customer transactions using payment cards—28.0%, or 435.7 billion UAH.
Foreign currency sales accounted for another 15.3%, or 238.1 billion UAH, while revenue from all types of services accounted for 12.2%, or 188.9 billion UAH.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy is working to prepare state-owned coal mining enterprises for transfer to the State Property Fund (SPF) and subsequent privatization, Deputy Minister of Energy Valentina Moskalenko said.
“The Ministry of Energy has indeed prepared our proposals for the government’s action plan, and we are indeed working to prepare all (coal) enterprises for transfer to the State Property Fund, with a view to their subsequent privatization and the search for an effective private investor for them,” Moskalenko said during an online meeting of the Verkhovna Rada’s Energy Committee on Monday.
She also added that the Ministry of Energy, together with the Ministry of Finance, has resolved the issue of compensation for wage arrears, unused vacation time, and all other payments required by law to employees of the two mines being liquidated: “Mine No. 9” (Volyn Oblast) and the “Nadiya” mine (Lviv Oblast).
“The draft plans for the liquidation of the mines are ready, funds are available to carry out the liquidation work, and everyone who wished to transfer to other enterprises has done so,” noted the deputy head of the Ministry of Energy.
At the same time, Moskalenko emphasized that the operations of the state-owned enterprise “Lvivvuhillia” have always been accompanied by debts, and this issue must be resolved.
“Lvivvuhillya has always had debts, with varying trends, and they have never gone away; now all the debts remain with the state-owned mines. We must do everything possible to restore the health of the state-owned coal mining sector,” Moskalenko emphasized.
COAL, INVESTOR, Mine, MINISTRY OF ENERGY, State Property Fund of Ukraine
Dmytro Lashin, director of Lavina Mall in Kyiv, is leaving Mandarin Plaza Group after eight years in the position.
“Today marks exactly eight years since I started working at Mandarin Plaza Group. And I want to let you know that my contract has ended,” Lashin announced on LinkedIn.
The Lavina Mall, with a total leasable area of 127,000 square meters, opened in early December 2016.
According to the YouControl analytics system, the authorized capital of Lavina Shopping Center LLC (Kyiv), established in 2013 and owner of the Lavina Mall in the capital, amounts to 279 million UAH. As of August 2026, the owners of Lavina Shopping Center LLC are the Cypriot company Ixoria Business Limited (90%) and JSC ZNVKIF “Asborn” (10%), with Marina Dorokhina listed as the ultimate beneficial owner.
According to its 2025 financial results, the company generated 1.5 billion UAH in revenue, a 14.68% increase compared to 2024, with net profit totaling 43,857,000 UAH—238 times higher than the previous year.
Zlata Estate became the largest among Ukrainian companies with jewelry-related KEVD codes that published financial statements for 2025, with revenue of 1.261 billion UAH, according to an Opendatabot study and its analysis by Experts Club dated August 17, 2026.
Resurs+ took second place with revenue of 1.019 billion UAH, while Weiss King came in third with 955.4 million UAH.
Amadeo, the official distributor of Pandora in Ukraine, generated 830.4 million UAH in revenue and ranked fourth. Rounding out the top five is “Opti Gold” with 620.4 million UAH.
Overall, the top 10 jewelry companies in Ukraine by revenue for 2025 are as follows:
“Zlata Estate” — 1.261 billion UAH
“Resurs+” — 1.019 billion UAH
“Weiss King” — 955.4 million UAH
“Amadeo” — 830.4 million UAH
“Opti Gold” — 620.4 million UAH
“Golden Hit” — 618.3 million UAH
“Parity+” — 608.5 million UAH
“Silver Tears” — 586.3 million UAH
“Silver Spectrum” — 471.1 million UAH
“Kipsayk” — 445.1 million UAH.
The combined revenue of the top five companies alone exceeded 4.68 billion UAH.
However, Opendatabot cautions that the ranking does not provide a complete picture of Ukraine’s jewelry market. Of the 1,282 active companies with the relevant KVED codes, only 358—less than one-third—submitted financial statements for 2025. Therefore, the ranking presented reflects the performance of companies for which financial data is available, rather than that of all industry participants.
In total, as of the end of July, there were 7,865 jewelry businesses in Ukraine, including 1,282 companies and 6,583 sole proprietorships.
With support from the European Investment Bank (EIB), Ternopil has completed the energy-efficient modernization of four kindergartens at a cost of approximately EUR5 million and put 17 new Ukrainian-made trolleybuses into service, financed by the EIB to the tune of EUR5.5 million, the financial institution reported.
“Strong municipalities are crucial for Ukraine’s resilience and recovery. In Ternopil, our financing is delivering tangible improvements that make essential services greener, more efficient, and more accessible,” said EIB Vice President Karl Neghammer.
The modernization project covered kindergartens No. 1, No. 14, No. 20, and No. 21, which are attended by more than 1,100 children and employ 250 staff members.
In these facilities, buildings were insulated, windows and doors were replaced, heating and ventilation systems were modernized, energy-efficient lighting was installed, and accessibility was improved. This is expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 20%.
The work was funded under the Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Development Program (UMIP).
In addition, with EIB support, Ternopil received 17 new trolleybuses manufactured by the Ukrainian company Elektronmash LLC. Their purchase, costing EUR 5.5 million, was funded under the “Urban Public Transport in Ukraine II” (UUPTP II) project.
The new trolleybuses are equipped with low floors, energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems, passenger information systems, GPS, video surveillance, and ramps for passengers with limited mobility.
As previously reported, in late 2024, the Lviv-based “Elektron” Group, after winning the tender, signed a contract with the municipal enterprise “Ternopilelektrotrans” to supply 17 low-floor 12-meter trolleybuses worth EUR5.5 million, manufactured by its subsidiary, “Elektronmash” LLC.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the EIB has provided Ukraine with EUR4.5 billion in financing to support the country’s resilience and modernization.
