Heating bills were the main reason for the initiation of enforcement proceedings related to utility payments in Ukraine during the first half of 2026. Over the course of six months, 46,186 thousand enforcement proceedings were initiated regarding heating debts. These cases account for 42.5%, or, rounded, 43%, of all new utility debts, according to Opendatabot.
In second place are debts for water supply—19,416 thousand cases, or 17.9%.
Another 12,648 thousand cases, or 11.7%, are related to payments for housing maintenance services. Gas supply accounts for 11,538 thousand cases, or 10.6%, while electricity accounts for 9,947 thousand, or 9.2%.
A total of 7,020 thousand cases were opened due to debts for waste collection, while another 1,806 thousand were related to other types of utility services.
The largest group of debtors consisted of Ukrainians aged 46 to 60—they accounted for 38,119 thousand cases, or 35.1%.
People over 60 accounted for 27,695 thousand cases, or 25.5%, while citizens aged 36 to 45 accounted for 26,076 thousand, or 24%. The share of debtors under 35 was about 15%.
Women were involved in 60,141 thousand new cases, that is, more than half of all cases. The highest number of cases against a single individual in 2026 was recorded for a resident of the Mykolaiv region born in 1952—15 cases, all due to electricity debt.
In total, 108,561 thousand proceedings regarding utility debts were initiated in Ukraine from January through June. Of these, 70,206 thousand—or 65%—remained open and unpaid as of early July.
Sales of new passenger cars in July of this year fell by 10.5% compared to the same month in 2025—to 5,754 thousand units, according to a report by “Ukravtoprom” on its Telegram channel.
According to the association, the most popular brand remains Japan’s Toyota, which increased its sales by 20% to 985 units.
Skoda took second place with 693 units (+24%), while VW came in third with 444 units (-10%).
The top ten most popular brands also included Renault with 345 units (-47%); BMW with 308 units (+17%); Hyundai with 298 units (=); Mazda—259 units (+66%); BYD—229 units (-69%); Suzuki—194 units (+39%); and Audi—156 units (-38%).
The Toyota RAV-4 crossover was the month’s best-seller.
According to Ukravtoprom, a total of about 38,800 new passenger cars were sold in the country from January through July, which is 1% less than a year ago.
According to Ukravtoprom, the new passenger car market in 2025 grew by 17% compared to 2024, reaching 81,300 units.
Ukraine is beginning to implement mandatory IMEI declaration for mobile phones upon import; the relevant order has already been signed by the Ministry of Finance, according to Artem Shevchenko, CEO of “Citrus.”
“In my view, this is the most important decision for the Ukrainian mobile phone market in recent years. The order has already been signed by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. This means that the decision has already been made and the practical implementation phase is beginning,” he said on LinkedIn.
Shevchenko added that, according to estimates by the Bureau of Economic Security (BES), this change in regulations could generate over 5 billion UAH in additional revenue for the state budget annually and significantly reduce opportunities for “gray market” smartphone imports. The “Citrus” team actively participated in consultations with the EBS regarding this initiative, discussing the technical aspects of implementation and mechanisms that will help make the new system as effective as possible.
Until now, the IMEI was not specified during customs clearance, which meant the state was unable to track the path of a specific mobile phone from the moment of its import to its sale to the end consumer.
“Now the foundation for such a system has been laid. The first stage is mandatory IMEI declaration upon import. The next step should be to include the IMEI on the fiscal receipt. The BEB is already working on this mechanism in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the State Tax Service of Ukraine. In effect, this means that every mobile phone will have a traceable path from the moment it crosses the border until it is sold. “Once this mechanism is fully implemented, the legal sale of mobile phones without a match between the IMEI declared at the time of import and the IMEI indicated on the fiscal receipt will become virtually impossible,” Shevchenko said.
Ukraine ranked 20th among Uzbekistan’s largest trading partners for the period from January through June 2026, according to data from the National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan.
Foreign trade turnover between Ukraine and Uzbekistan over the six-month period totaled $206.1 million, compared to $151.9 million during the same period in 2025. Thus, bilateral trade increased by 35.7%.
Ukrainian exports to Uzbekistan totaled approximately $171.9 million, while Uzbek exports to Ukraine were estimated at $34.2 million. Ukraine’s trade surplus with Uzbekistan reached approximately $137.7 million.
Ukraine accounted for about 0.5% of Uzbekistan’s total foreign trade turnover.
Overall, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover in January–June 2026 amounted to about $41 billion.
China remained the country’s largest trading partner, accounting for 23.1% of total trade, or about $9.5 billion. Russia ranked second with a share of 17.1%, corresponding to approximately $7 billion.
Uzbekistan’s top five trading partners also included Kazakhstan with a 6.8% share, Turkey with 3.4%, and Afghanistan with 2.6%.
Separately, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade reported that the country’s exports, excluding gold, totaled $14.4 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of 32.2%, or $3.5 billion, compared to the same period last year.
The main market for Uzbek goods and services was Russia, to which $2.4 billion worth of products were shipped. Exports to China totaled $2.18 billion, to Afghanistan – $961 million, to Kazakhstan – $715 million, to France – $707 million, to Turkey – $516 million, and to Kyrgyzstan – $453 million.
The main drivers of growth in Uzbek exports were services ($5.7 billion), light industrial goods ($1.66 billion), metallurgical and mining products ($1.3 billion), fruits and vegetables ($875 million), and construction materials ($714 million).
Uzbekistan’s export geography expanded to include seven additional countries and territories in the first half of the year, bringing the total to 211 countries and territories.
Sources: National Committee on Statistics of Uzbekistan and a press release from the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan dated July 29, 2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree relieving Olga Stefanishyna of her duties as Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States.
The corresponding decree, No. 696/2026, has been published on the president’s website.
In a Facebook post, Stefanishyna announced that she had decided to step down as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States due to personal circumstances.
“This is my own decision, dictated by personal circumstances that I have mentioned previously,” she noted.
According to Stefanyishyna, representing Ukraine in Washington during a full-scale war was the greatest honor of her life.
At the same time, the diplomat emphasized that the main tasks she came to Washington to accomplish have been fulfilled. In particular, she said, she succeeded in increasing U.S. arms supplies and maintaining support for Ukraine amid changes in the U.S. political landscape, enshrining that support in law, and shifting Ukraine’s role “from a country that receives aid to a country in which investments are made and whose technologies are purchased.”
Stefanyishyna also stated that she would comment separately and publicly on issues that have recently been raised in the media, and assured that she would continue to work for the benefit of Ukraine “wherever she can be of use.”
Olga Stefanyishyna was born on October 29, 1985, in Odesa. In 2008, she graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a degree in international law and as an English translator; in 2016, she received a specialist degree in finance and credit from Odesa National Economic University.
From 2006 to 2007, she worked in private legal practice. Since 2007, she has worked at the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, where she held positions in departments responsible for European integration and international law. From 2017 to 2019, she headed the Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration at the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
In June 2020, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Stefanyishyna as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and included her in the National Security and Defense Council.
In 2021, Stefanyishyna was appointed to the Political Council of the “Servant of the People” party.
In 2024, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Stefanyishyna as Minister of Justice of Ukraine following the dismissal of Denys Malyuska. She retained her position as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
In July 2025, Stefanyishyna lost her positions as Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister following the resignation of Denys Shmyhal’s government. Subsequently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed her as the President of Ukraine’s Representative for the Development of Cooperation with the United States, and in August 2025, as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States.
On July 23, 2026, Zelenskyy announced that he had offered Yulia Svyrydenko the position of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine.
AMBASSADOR, DIPLOMACY, Stefanyishyna, UKRAINE, UNITED STATES
As of July 31, 2026, Ukraine had exported, since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year (MY, July–June), 2.601 million metric tons of grains and legumes, which is 54.9% more than on the same date a year ago, when this figure stood at 1.679 million metric tons.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing data from the State Customs Service, total exports of grains, legumes, and flour reached 2.603 million metric tons, compared to 1.684 million metric tons on the same date last marketing year.
Specifically, wheat exports totaled 1.059 million metric tons, compared to 744,000 metric tons a year ago; corn exports totaled 1.244 million metric tons, compared to 627,000 metric tons; and barley exports totaled 294,000 metric tons, compared to 267,000 metric tons. As was the case last year, no rye was exported.
Flour exports since the start of the 2026/27 marketing year totaled 1,800 metric tons, which is half the volume recorded on the same date last marketing year (3,600 metric tons). In particular, wheat flour exports also halved—to 1,700 metric tons from 3,400 metric tons a year ago.
