The Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine reports that the October phase of the “Veterans’ Sports” program will not take place, and the ministry is working to resume it in 2027.
“Ukraine continues to live under conditions of full-scale war and a difficult economic situation. National defense remains the top priority for government spending. Under these circumstances, the state budget’s capacity to fund other areas is limited. At the same time, demand for the ‘Veterans’ Sports’ program has turned out to be significantly higher than expected,” the ministry’s statement reads.
It is noted that in 2026, 600 million hryvnias were initially allocated for the program—based on an estimate of 100,000 recipients per quarter. Accordingly, approximately 300,000 applications were expected over three quarters; however, the program was utilized more than 800,000 times.
Due to this demand, additional funds were allocated to the program throughout the year, and in total, payments exceeding 1.2 billion hryvnias were made in 2026—more than double the initial projection.
“Thus, the program has already covered as many participants as this year’s budget allows. All allocated funds were used for payments, including those returned from previous periods. Since the available financial resources have been exhausted, additional funding is required to carry out the October phase. However, at this time, there is no possibility of allocating funds for this from the state budget. Therefore, unfortunately, a new application phase will not open in the “Diya” app in October, and payments of 1,500 hryvnias will not be made as part of this phase,” the ministry stated.
At the same time, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs states that it is working to transition the program from a pilot format to a permanent one by 2027.
As previously reported, on January 3, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a pilot project to introduce quarterly assistance in the amount of 1,500 UAH for sports activities for combatants and individuals with war-related disabilities. Combatants could apply for these funds quarterly through the “Diya” app.
FUNDING, Ministry of Veterans Affairs, SPORTS, UKRAINE, ветеран
In 2026, the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine decided to provide state funding for infrastructure development to nine industrial parks totaling 557 million UAH, and will soon review applications from the “Uzhhorod” and “Khust” industrial parks for 120 million hryvnias, according to Dmytro Kysilevsky, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic development.
“In 2026, decisions have already been made regarding nine industrial parks totaling 557 million hryvnias. Among them are the Transcarpathian industrial parks ‘Tyachiv’ and ‘Friendly Wind Technology.’ Applications from the “Uzhhorod” and “Khust” industrial parks, totaling 120 million hryvnias, will also be reviewed in the near future,” he wrote on Facebook following a meeting held on Wednesday with the initiators and management companies of Transcarpathia’s industrial parks.
Kysilevsky noted that the state provides funding for the development of industrial infrastructure in industrial parks on a 50:50 co-financing basis; recipients are also required to build at least 5,000 square meters of industrial space and attract at least two tenants.
He noted that prior to the full-scale invasion, there was only one industrial park in the Zakarpattia region, but now there are already 12, and three more are preparing to apply for registration by the end of 2026.
“The security factor has become the main draw for industrial investment in the region. In terms of the number of industrial parks, the region is already among the top three, behind Kyiv and Lviv regions, and has well-founded ambitions to become a leader. There are 13 factories that have been built or are under construction in Transcarpathian industrial parks. They already provide jobs for about 2,000 workers,” the MP emphasized.
Kysilevsky also announced the start of construction on new production facilities in the industrial parks of Uzhhorod, Khust, and Svalyava.
As previously reported, as of September of this year, 125 industrial parks had been registered in Ukraine across nearly all regions. By the end of 2025, 37 industrial enterprises had been built or were under construction in these industrial parks. The total amount of investment attracted to the industrial parks exceeds 45 billion hryvnias.
government support, INDUSTRIAL PARK, INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT, UKRAINE
The Arab Council of Ukraine and the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council have agreed to develop the region’s cooperation with the countries of the Arab world, particularly in the economic, investment and humanitarian spheres.
According to Mohammad Farajallah, Secretary-General of the Arab Council in Ukraine, Violeta Labazuk, Chair of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council, met with Khusam Raad, Chair of the Committee on Foreign and Diplomatic Relations of the Arab Council in Ukraine, advisor to the Honorary Consul General of Ukraine in Syria, and representative of the Muslim community in the Khmelnytskyi region.
The parties discussed opportunities to expand the international ties of the Khmelnytskyi region and establish contacts with representatives of businesses and public organizations from Arab states.
Particular attention was paid to the prospects of attracting investment, implementing joint projects, developing trade and economic cooperation, and humanitarian initiatives.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed opportunities to present the economic and investment potential of the Khmelnytskyi region to potential partners from Arab countries.
The Arab Council of Ukraine stated its readiness to facilitate the establishment of direct contacts between representatives of the region and business circles of Arab states, as well as to support initiatives aimed at developing interregional and international cooperation.
The parties agreed to continue their interaction and work out specific areas of possible cooperation.
The Arab Council of Ukraine is a public organization whose activities are aimed at developing relations between Ukraine and Arab countries and strengthening business, public, cultural and humanitarian ties.
ARAB COUNCIL OF UKRAINE, Arab countries, COOPERATION, INVESTMENT, Khmelnytskyi region, LABAZIUK, UKRAINE, АБУ АЛРУБ
Ukrainian gas station chains are not yet fully passing on the increased costs resulting from Russian attacks to consumers, instead offsetting them by reducing their own profitability; however, the ability to keep prices in check in this way is limited, according to Serhiy Kuyun, director of the A-95 Consulting Group.
As the expert reported on his Facebook page, “A-95” specialists compared retail prices for gasoline and diesel fuel with their customs value over the past three years.
The resulting difference includes gas stations’ logistics and operating costs, as well as operators’ profits. According to “A-95” calculations, in 2026 this markup did not increase but actually decreased slightly compared to the previous year, despite a significant rise in fuel companies’ expenses.
Among the additional costs, Kuyun cites the restoration of damaged gas stations and the strengthening of their security. According to him, installing an anti-drone protective structure over a single gas station can cost about €100,000, while building a temporary shelter can cost 1–1.2 million UAH.
At the same time, personnel costs are rising. According to data from the State Tax Service cited by the expert, the official salaries of employees at the 40 largest gas station chains have increased by 20% over the past year. Additional expenses arise from the need to organize work schedules and staff rotations in frontline regions.
“In other words, the stability of the markup was achieved by reducing profits,” Kuyun noted.
According to his assessment, the most difficult economic situation has developed in the left-bank region of Ukraine. The cost of delivering fuel there is higher than in the western and southern border regions, while there is virtually no significant regional variation in retail prices.
National chains can partially offset the low profitability of such gas stations through more efficient stations in other regions. For small local operators in the east of the country, this option is often unavailable.
According to Kuyun, some local gas stations are currently operating with zero or negative profitability. The expert attributes this to why some gas stations damaged by Russian drones are not being rebuilt: investments in repairs may not pay off given the current economic situation.
A further negative factor is the decline in fuel sales. Kuyun attributes this both to the impact of attacks on Ukrainian industry and the resulting drop in consumption, as well as to the high cost of petroleum products on the global market.
According to the expert, for now, fuel retailers are effectively absorbing part of the rising costs using their own revenues, rather than passing them on entirely to the final price of gasoline and diesel fuel.
However, this situation cannot last indefinitely.
“It’s hard to say how much longer fuel retailers will be able to absorb these price increases using their own revenues. I think it won’t be long,” Kuyun noted.
Thus, future price trends at Ukrainian gas stations will depend not only on global oil and petroleum product prices and the exchange rate, but also on operators’ ability to offset rising costs related to logistics, security, infrastructure restoration, and personnel.
Source: Serhiy Kuyun — Facebook post.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development may provide EUR600 million to restore the electricity balancing market, said Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Denys Shmyhal after a meeting with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.
“Ukrainian energy companies need EUR600 million in financing to revitalize the balancing market. We greatly appreciate the EBRD’s participation in this process and count on the bank’s support for this reform,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, the parties also discussed priorities for further cooperation across all areas. Currently, Ukraine, in partnership with the EBRD, is implementing 13 energy projects that cover virtually the entire energy chain—from gas production and supply to electricity generation and transmission—as well as projects in hydropower and renewable energy. The total value of the portfolio exceeds EUR3 billion.
In addition, Shmyhal and Reno-Basso coordinated further cooperation to attract new contributions for the reconstruction of the New Safe Confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the Donors’ Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Paris in November.
Finnish industrial company REKA Group is beginning the implementation of the REKA NOVO investment project in Novoselytsia, Chernivtsi region, with a total investment volume of €5 million, the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration reported.
The new enterprise will specialize in the production of silicone hoses for European manufacturers of trucks, special-purpose vehicles, and companies in the shipbuilding industry.
Thus, this is an export-oriented production facility being created by a foreign investor directly in Ukraine and integrated into European industrial chains.
REKA Group representatives Markku Rentto and Mika Kärkkäinen announced the start of the project during a meeting with the leadership of the Chernivtsi region and the Novoselytsia community.
According to the published data, the project has been named REKA NOVO. The total volume of capital investment will amount to €5 million. The first stage of the enterprise is expected to be launched in early 2027.
The products of the new plant will be oriented primarily toward the European market. This makes it possible to view the project not only as a direct foreign investment in Ukrainian industry, but also as a further integration of Ukrainian production sites into the supply chains of European mechanical engineering.
According to specialized investment resources, international manufacturers of heavy machinery, including Volvo and John Deere, are named among the potential consumers of the products. However, the official statement of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration does not identify specific customers, so the conclusion of direct contracts with these companies has not yet been publicly confirmed.
For the Chernivtsi region, the project is of particular interest against the background of the comparatively small accumulated volume of foreign direct investment. According to the Regional Military Administration, more than 400 enterprises with foreign capital operate in the region, while the total volume of attracted foreign direct investment amounts to about $19 million.
Against this background, REKA Group’s €5 million investment is a notable new industrial project for the region.
The location of the production facility in Novoselytsia also gives the investor a logistical advantage: the city is located not far from the border with Romania, which facilitates the integration of the enterprise into European production and transport chains.
The project is also indicative of a broader trend toward relocating individual production operations closer to the EU market. Ukraine’s western regions, thanks to their geographical proximity to the European Union, relatively developed industrial base, and access to the Ukrainian workforce, are gradually becoming one of the main locations for new export-oriented production facilities.
Official source: Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration — REKA NOVO investment project.
