As of now, Oschadbank has signed loan agreements in the energy sector totaling 11 billion UAH, which is more than 1.5 times the amount for all of 2025, when such agreements totaled 6.77 billion UAH, said Yuriy Katsion, Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank.
“Investors in the energy sector can still be called the biggest optimists in the country today. It is they who, despite all the risks, are investing in the country’s future. Lending trends confirm growing business interest in this sector: while Oschadbank concluded energy sector loan agreements totaling 6.77 billion hryvnias for the entire year of 2025, their volume reached 11 billion hryvnias in 2026,” said Katsion during the first annual forum of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association, UKRAINE RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENDA 2027, which took place recently in Kyiv.
According to him, these figures demonstrate the business community’s readiness to invest in the country’s energy independence and implement long-term projects.
As Oschadbank clarified in a press release following the forum, of the total volume of loan agreements concluded by Oschadbank to finance the energy sector in 2026, 8.83 billion UAH went to corporate clients, and another 1.94 billion UAH went to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, half of the agreements in the MSME segment were concluded with the support of government and international programs. For comparison: in 2025, the volume of loan agreements in the energy sector amounted to 5.64 billion UAH for large corporate clients and 1.13 billion UAH for MSMEs.
At the forum, Katsion noted that for certain projects, the payback period can now be as short as three years, which increases the investment attractiveness of the energy sector and encourages businesses to invest more actively in new capacity.
At the same time, he noted that a key factor for continued growth in energy lending will be the reduction of the corporate income tax rate for banks to at least 25%, down from the current 50%.
According to the banker, such a high tax rate critically affects capital adequacy and limits the banking system’s ability to lend to the real economy.
The chairman of Oschadbank’s board identified forecasting medium- and long-term electricity prices as one of the key challenges for further attracting investment; therefore, insurance and hedging instruments for price risks should also become an important area of market development.
At the same time, Katsion noted that the bank has been granted the status of an active electricity consumer and is developing its own energy consumption management system.
As he told reporters on the sidelines, the entire branch network is equipped with inverters and battery systems that provide at least four hours of autonomous operation, and in most cases, up to eight hours.
Automated commercial electricity metering systems (ASKOE) have also been installed in branches and regional offices.
To manage this infrastructure, Oschadbank has established its own control center, which, among other things, tracks hourly electricity prices and determines the optimal times for charging and discharging the battery systems. According to him, this not only ensures the uninterrupted operation of the bank’s network during power outages but also generates economic benefits through optimized energy consumption.
In October 2026, the National Bank of Ukraine fined “Credit Ukraine” Pawnshop LLC 2.747 million UAH for improper organization and conduct of initial financial monitoring. Additionally, the company received a written warning for violating foreign exchange legislation.
The regulator announced this on November 6 following the application of enforcement measures against financial market participants.
According to the NBU, the pawnshop failed to properly update its internal documents on financial monitoring and to develop procedures for effective risk management.
Furthermore, the institution committed violations during customer due diligence and the application of a risk-based approach, which involves determining the risk level of financial transactions and implementing appropriate control measures.
A separate violation concerned the failure to conduct proper due diligence on a customer who is a family member of a politically exposed person.
Under the law, such customers are subject to additional verification measures aimed at minimizing the risk of financial institutions being used to launder illicit proceeds.
The National Bank also found that the pawnshop had failed to properly fulfill its obligation to provide complete and accurate information and documents in response to the regulator’s requests.
In addition to the fine for violating financial monitoring requirements, the company received a written warning for failing to comply with certain requirements of foreign exchange legislation.
Specifically, this concerns transactions with non-resident individuals involving the granting and repayment of loans and the payment of interest in hryvnia without the required license from the National Bank.
Another violation was the improper maintenance of a register of transactions involving the purchase and sale of foreign currency in cash. According to the regulator, the forms of the relevant registers did not comply with established regulatory requirements.
The fine of 2.747 million UAH was the largest among the sanctions imposed by the NBU on non-bank financial institutions in October 2026.
In total, the regulator fined three non-bank institutions 3.563 million UAH during the month.
Lombard “Credit Ukraine” LLC is a participant in the Ukrainian non-bank financial market. For pawnshops, the main line of business is providing loans to individuals secured by movable property. Such institutions are subject to regulation and supervision by the National Bank of Ukraine.
Source: National Bank of Ukraine, press release dated November 6, 2026.
First Ukrainian International Bank (FUIB, Kyiv) increased its net profit by 2.5% in the third quarter of 2026—to 1.26 billion UAH from 1.22 billion UAH in the same period of 2025.
According to the bank’s interim financial statements, pre-tax profit in the third quarter rose by 53.8% to 2.51 billion UAH, net interest income by 38.3% to 6.05 billion UAH, and net fee and commission income by 55.8% to 0.99 billion UAH.
At the same time, the loss from impairment of financial assets increased by 49.1% to 1.62 billion UAH, and operating expenses rose by 23.8% to 3.22 billion UAH. Income tax expenses increased 3.1-fold to 1.26 billion UAH from 0.41 billion UAH.
Compared to January–September 2025, PUMB’s net income decreased by 8.7% to 4.38 billion UAH, while pre-tax income increased by 37.0% to 8.75 billion UAH.
Net interest income for the nine-month period increased by 35.3% to 16.93 billion UAH, while net fee and commission income rose by 22.0% to 2.92 billion UAH. Income tax expense totaled 4.38 billion UAH, compared to 1.60 billion UAH a year earlier.
The volume of loans and advances to customers since the beginning of the year grew by 31.5% to 129.03 billion UAH. Specifically, the corporate loan portfolio, net of expected credit losses, increased by 29.2% to 96.63 billion UAH, while the retail loan portfolio grew by 38.8% to 32.40 billion UAH.
The gross book value of loans to the 20 largest borrowers as of September 30 was 14.44 billion UAH, or 10% of the loan portfolio before provisions, compared to 14.52 billion UAH, or 14%, at the beginning of the year.
Customer deposits increased by 7.9% over the first nine months, to 206.20 billion UAH. Deposits from individuals rose by 14.7%, to 76.03 billion UAH, while those from legal entities increased by 4.3%, to 130.17 billion UAH.
Since the beginning of 2026, PUMB’s assets have grown by 8.9% to 251.56 billion UAH, liabilities by 8.0% to 215.48 billion UAH, and equity by 14.3% to 36.08 billion UAH.
FUIB is the largest privately-owned bank in Ukraine; its ultimate beneficiary is Rinat Akhmetov.
According to the bank, since the start of the full-scale invasion, it has paid over 25 billion UAH in taxes and fees to the state budget. Investments in social projects exceeded 1.5 billion UAH.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last Friday that his country will contribute 500 million euros to the European Union’s planned 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, APA reports.
“As for the loan for Ukraine… 500 million euros will be our initial contribution. This is a very important and effective mechanism, and I truly commend the initiative of European Commission President von der Leyen, the members of the Commission, and President Costa in establishing it—using frozen assets to provide Ukraine with much-needed financing,” Carney stated during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
The Canadian Prime Minister noted that his country’s contribution is an example of the implementation of Canada’s recently announced partnership with the European Union, adding that it is a “positive alliance.”
According to Experts.news, the lack of an effective out-of-court mechanism for settling consumer loan debts contributes to a significant number of court cases between financial companies and borrowers. At the same time, it is precisely the judicial process that allows for verifying the validity of the interest charged and protecting consumers from excessive financial demands, according to Vasyl Krat, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine.
As noted in a study by the analytical service “OpenDataBot,” published on October 28, 2026, all ten of the country’s largest corporate plaintiffs operate in the financial sector.
“Ukr Credit Finance” topped the ranking, with 80,421 court cases filed based on its claims during the incomplete year of 2026. In second place is “Consumer Center” with 68,076 cases.
Overall, among the hundred legal entities that most frequently filed lawsuits in 2026, 39 operate in the lending and other financial services sectors.
Commenting on the study’s findings, Krat noted that current regulations governing the collection of consumer loan debts limit the use of notarial enforcement orders and arbitration proceedings.
As a result, creditors are forced to turn to state courts.
According to the judge, the problem is exacerbated by the financial consequences of a full-scale war. The loss of jobs, income, and property is forcing a portion of the population to resort to accessible forms of short-term lending, particularly microloans.
At the same time, the ability to obtain a loan quickly does not always correspond to the borrower’s ability to fulfill their obligations on time.
Excessive interest rates remain a separate problem.
Krat reported that in one court case, the effective annual interest rate on a loan was 1,139,966%.
This figure, cited by the judge as an example of judicial practice, is not the current permitted rate for new consumer loans.
In Ukraine, a cap on the maximum daily interest rate for consumer loans at 1% has been in effect since August 20, 2024.
This provision was established by Law No. 3498-IX of November 22, 2023, with a phased reduction of the permitted rate during the transition period.
As clarified by the Supreme Court on September 14, 2026, for agreements entered into after the end of the transition period, any provision regarding a daily rate that exceeds the maximum established by law is not applicable to the extent of the excess.
However, the new restrictions do not automatically apply to agreements entered into before the relevant amendments took effect.
In particular, when considering disputes regarding old loan agreements, it is necessary to take into account the date of their conclusion, any possible extension of the loan term, and the provisions of the legislation in effect during the relevant period.
These issues were addressed by the Joint Chamber of the Civil Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, specifically in its ruling of September 7, 2026, in Case No. 552/672/23.
The court noted that, under certain circumstances, excessive or ambiguously worded terms of a loan agreement may be subject to judicial review under consumer protection laws.
At the same time, certain remedies require the borrower to file specific claims, whereas the court may interpret ambiguous provisions of the agreement in favor of the consumer directly during the resolution of the dispute.
This issue has significant economic implications.
According to OpenDataBot, based on statistics from the National Bank of Ukraine, as of July 1, 2026, the total debt of the population to microfinance organizations reached 32.32 billion UAH.
Since the beginning of the year, this figure has increased by 17%, or 4.7 billion UAH.
In the first half of the year, Ukrainians entered into nearly 4.2 million contracts with microfinance organizations totaling 37.5 billion UAH.
The growth in loan debt, combined with restrictions on extrajudicial collection, places an additional burden on the judicial system. At the same time, the available data does not allow for determining what proportion of new court cases is directly related to delinquent microloans and how many of them concern challenges to accrued interest.
The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest court in the country’s judicial system. It includes the Civil Court of Cassation, which hears, among other things, disputes related to the fulfillment of credit obligations and the protection of the rights of consumers of financial services.
Sources: “OpenDataBot,” study dated October 28, 2026; Supreme Court of Ukraine, clarification by Vasyl Krat dated September 14, 2026; Supreme Court, materials from the National Judicial Forum dated October 20, 2026; “OpenDataBot,” microloan debt.
According to Experts.news, all ten of Ukraine’s largest corporate plaintiffs—based on the number of new court cases in 2026—operate in the financial sector. Furthermore, among the 100 most active legal entities that filed lawsuits, 39 are engaged in lending and providing other financial services, according to data from the “OpenDataBot” study published on October 28, 2026.
According to data from the court registry, the largest number of cases filed in the incomplete year of 2026 were initiated by the financial company “Ukr Credit Finance”—80,421.
Second place goes to “Consumer Center” with 68,076 cases, third to “Universal Bank” with 25,544, fourth to “Accent Bank” with 22,002, and fifth to “Factoring Partners” with 19,688.
In sixth place is “Unit Capital” with 19,050 cases. Next are “Digi Finance” with 17,050 cases, “Collect Center” with 16,699, “Credit Capital” with 15,613, and the “European Debt Recovery Agency” with 14,993.
Thus, according to calculations based on the published ranking, the ten largest corporate plaintiffs account for a total of over 299,000 new court cases for the incomplete year of 2026.
At the same time, just two leaders—“Ukr Credit Finance” and “Consumer Center”—appear in 148,497 cases, accounting for nearly half of the top ten’s combined total.
Compared to 2025, the structure of the ranking has changed significantly.
“Ukr Credit Finance” rose from eighth place to first, and “Factoring Partners” rose from 17th to fifth.
“Universal Bank” improved its position from fifth to third, and “Accent Bank” from sixth to fourth. “Unit Capital” rose from ninth to sixth place, “Digi Finance” from 15th to seventh, and “Collect Center” from 13th to eighth.
At the same time, the “European Debt Recovery Agency,” which ranked first in 2025, fell to tenth place.
The ranking indicates a high concentration of legal actions among credit market participants; however, it does not allow for determining what proportion of these lawsuits was successful or what amounts were actually recovered from debtors.
Utilities and energy companies also play a significant role among the top 100 corporate plaintiffs.
According to “OpenDataBot,” 24 entities in the ranking operate in the electricity, gas, heating, and water supply sectors.
Another 14 organizations belong to the public administration sector.
Thus, the most active corporate plaintiffs are predominantly organizations whose activities are related to consumers’ financial obligations, the provision of financial or utility services, and the performance of government functions.
Vasyl Krat, a judge on the Supreme Court of Ukraine, attributes the high level of litigation activity by creditors to the limited options for out-of-court debt collection on consumer loans.
According to him, for banks and financial companies, going to court in many cases remains the primary means of enforcing debt collection.
At the same time, court proceedings allow for verification of the validity of the creditor’s claims, including the legality of the interest charged.
The “OpenDataBot” study covers court cases from 2025–2026 in which legal entities served as plaintiffs. The published results for 2026 are preliminary and are compared with the full previous calendar year.
Source: “OpenDataBot,” a study of Ukraine’s largest corporate plaintiffs dated October 28, 2026.
