Ukraine expects an increase in the volume of generator and other power equipment shipments as early as next week, following talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul, Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Mykola Kalashnyk said on Sunday.
“In Istanbul, the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, discussed issues of security and economic cooperation, energy, and infrastructure. One of the key outcomes is that Ukraine expects an increase in shipments of generators and other energy equipment as early as next week. This is particularly important now, as Russia is intensifying its attacks on the energy infrastructure of our communities,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to Kalashnik, the parties are also working to restore safe civilian shipping in the Black Sea, which is of strategic importance for the operation of Ukrainian ports and international trade.
In addition, during the visit, Kalashnik, together with Oleksiy Sobolev, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, took part in a meeting of representatives of Ukrainian and Turkish businesses. Delegates from the DTEK energy holding, Naftogaz of Ukraine, the Metinvest Group, Ukrainian Armored Vehicles, the Diia.City Union, as well as leading Turkish companies in the construction, energy, transportation, and defense-industrial sectors joined the discussion.
During the event, the Ukrainian side presented opportunities for Turkish businesses to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure. Key priorities identified included investments in the port sector, highways, and railways; the renewal of the locomotive fleet; the modernization of rail tracks; and the implementation of sustainable community development plans to ensure backup heat and water supplies.
The business confidence index in Ukraine’s construction market fell by 1.9 percentage points (pp) in the fourth quarter of 2026 compared to the third quarter, reaching “minus” 23.4%, according to the State Statistics Service (SSS).
According to a survey of construction companies conducted by the agency, the assessment of current order volumes worsened by 2 p.p. to “minus” 37.2%. Specifically, 59% of the surveyed companies rated their current order volumes as normal for the season, while 40% rated them as insufficient.
Sixty-two percent of respondents expect to raise prices for their services by the end of the fourth quarter of this year. Five percent of respondents forecast a decrease in the cost of construction work, while 33% do not expect any changes in pricing policy.
According to data from the State Statistics Service, the companies participating in the survey have an average of six months’ worth of orders, which corresponds to the pre-war level at the beginning of 2022.
The statistical agency notes that in the fourth quarter of 2026, construction will be negatively impacted by labor shortages (53.9%), financial constraints (50.8%), insufficient demand (20.8%), and other factors (44.7%).
About 28% of the surveyed companies expect a reduction in their workforce in October–December, while 58% believe their workforce will remain unchanged, and 13% forecast an expansion of their staff.
According to the State Statistics Service, 36% of respondents reported an increase in the volume of construction work completed in the past quarter, while 27% reported a decrease.
The survey showed that 99% of Ukrainian construction companies find it quite difficult to predict future business developments.
The statistical data does not include territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation or parts of territories where hostilities are (or were) taking place.
Source: https://stat.gov.ua
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the entry into force on October 1 of the free trade agreement with Ukraine marked an important step toward the development of bilateral economic and trade relations, and that the parties aim to achieve a trade volume of $10 billion.
“The entry into force on October 1 of the free trade agreement, which was signed between our countries in 2022, marks an important step for our bilateral economic and trade relations. This agreement has brought us one step closer to our goal of achieving $10 billion in trade,” Erdogan said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Saturday.
He also reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence, calling it a strategic partner.
Erdogan added that Turkish companies, which continue to operate in Ukraine despite the war, will eventually make a significant contribution to its reconstruction.
Passenger traffic across Ukraine’s western border this week—during the fall school break, from October 24 to 29—increased by 9.2%, reaching 568,000.
According to daily statistics from the State Border Guard Service, as tracked by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, the number of outbound border crossings rose by 13.2% to 300,000, while the number of inbound crossings increased by 5.1% to 268,000.
The number of vehicles passing through border checkpoints also increased to 131,000 from 124,000, while the number of vehicles carrying humanitarian cargo fell to 382 from 490.
The highest outbound traffic was recorded on Saturday (53,000 per day), and the highest inbound traffic on Sunday (43,000), while the lowest outbound traffic was on Tuesday and Thursday (38,000 each), and the lowest inbound traffic on Wednesday (35,000).
According to the State Border Guard Service, as of 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, the lines of vehicles at the border for outbound travel were minimal. The longest line of passenger cars waiting to cross the border with Poland was at the “Ustyluh” checkpoint—20 vehicles. At the “Hrushiv,” “Krakivets,” “Shehyni,” and “Nyzhankovychi” checkpoints, there were 10 cars in line at each.
At the border with Slovakia, the line at the “Malyi Berezny” checkpoint consisted of 3 cars, and at the “Uzhhorod” checkpoint—20.
At the border with Hungary, 18 cars were waiting at the “Tisa” checkpoint, and 10 at the “Luzhanka” checkpoint.
At the border with Moldova and Romania, according to the State Border Guard Service, there were no lines as of Saturday morning.
Last year, passenger traffic across the border during this week increased by 10.3% and was slightly higher—580,000—with outbound traffic also slightly exceeding inbound traffic.
The following week, passenger traffic fell by 10.5%, and over the course of the week, it dropped by another 8.7%.
As previously reported, starting May 10, 2022, the outflow of refugees from Ukraine—which began with the start of the war—gave way to an inflow that lasted until September 23, 2022, totaling 409,000 people. However, since the end of September—possibly influenced by news of mobilization in Russia and “pseudo-referendums” in the occupied territories, followed by massive shelling of energy infrastructure—the number of people leaving has exceeded the number of those entering. In total, from late September 2022 through the first anniversary of the full-scale war, this figure reached 223,000 people.
In the second year of the full-scale war, the number of border crossings out of Ukraine, according to the State Border Guard Service, exceeded the number of crossings into the country by 25,000; in the third year, by 187,000; in the fourth year, by 221,000; and since the beginning of the fifth year, by 112,000.
In its July inflation report, the National Bank maintained its estimate of 0.3 million people migrating from Ukraine last year due to the deteriorating security situation at the end of the year and the easing of exit rules for young people, but noted that this figure would be less than 0.5 million in 2024. The NBU continues to forecast a net outflow of 0.2 million in 2026, while net returns, according to its forecast, will begin in 2027 and amount to about 0.1 million people, increasing to 0.5 million people in 2028.
According to UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe as of June 30, 2026, stood at 5.159 million, and globally at 5.687 million, compared to 5.213 million and 5.687 million, respectively, as of April 30.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data for July 2026, there were 3.80 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to 3.70 million in January of this year and 3.34 million in July 2025.
BORDER, MIGRATION, PASSENGER TRAFFIC, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, UKRAINE
The government is preparing changes to the customs clearance procedures for humanitarian aid to prevent abuse, and is also stepping up the fight against tax evasion schemes involving the artificial fragmentation of businesses, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said.
“We are stepping up our efforts to bring the economy out of the shadows. Together with law enforcement agencies, the tax and customs services, and as part of the Interagency Working Group, we have identified further measures. All relevant agencies have been given instructions,” he wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to the prime minister, an updated list of goods affected by changes in customs clearance procedures for humanitarian aid will be finalized in the near future. This should prevent humanitarian shipments from being used as a cover for illegal imports.
“Humanitarian aid must reach those in need quickly, rather than serving as a cover for illegal imports. An updated, well-founded list of goods affected by the changes will be finalized in the near future,” Koretsky explained.
In addition, the tax authority, together with customs and the Economic Security Bureau, will step up its efforts regarding high-risk taxpayers.
Specifically, this concerns schemes to evade VAT payments through the artificial fragmentation of businesses, where large retail chains distribute their turnover among dozens or hundreds of sole proprietors. “This problem must be addressed by law enforcement,” the prime minister stated.
Koretsky emphasized that the goal of these measures is to ensure the necessary budget revenues and a level playing field for businesses operating legally.
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump linked the successful completion of a humanitarian mission in Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, to her hope for a lasting peace.
“Hope for a lasting peace,” she wrote on social media platform X, commenting on the events in Oleshky.
“Oleshky proves that we are capable of raising humanity above war. Together, we can build a peaceful planet—a world full of opportunities for our children,” Melania Trump noted.
Her post included a message from Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, and a video showing residents of the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky returning to territory controlled by Ukraine.
humanitarian mission, Melania Trump, UKRAINE, UNITED STATES, Олешки
