According to preliminary data, Ukrainian steelmakers reduced their production of total rolled steel by 23% in January–September of this year compared to the same period last year, down to 3.729 million metric tons.
According to information released Friday by the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association, 137,000 metric tons of rolled steel were produced in September, 269,500 metric tons in August, 382,700 metric tons in July, 599,800 metric tons in June, in May—537,800 metric tons, in April—460,800 metric tons, in March—544,500 metric tons, in February—390,300 metric tons, and in January—406,400 metric tons.
In 2025, Ukraine’s steel companies increased their production of general-purpose rolled steel by 4.8% compared to 2024, reaching 6.521 million metric tons.
In 2024, Ukraine increased its production of general-purpose rolled steel by 15.8% compared to 2023—to 6.222 million metric tons from 5.372 million metric tons. In 2023, total rolled steel production rose by 0.4% to 5.372 million metric tons, while in 2022 it fell by 72% to 5.350 million metric tons.
In 2021, before the war, 19.079 million metric tons of rolled steel were produced, or 103.5% of the 2020 level.
METALLURGY, PRODUCTION, ROLLED STEEL, UKRAINE, UKRMETALLURGPROM
According to Interfax-Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being unwilling to end the war with Russia.
“Zelenskyy could have resolved this war many, many times. He chose not to. … Zelenskyy wants to create problems for the world. He wants to create problems for our farmers by striking Russian oil refineries,” Trump told reporters.
“I suggest that Ukraine get a new leader who is capable of making deals. For some reason, Zelenskyy never makes deals,” Trump said.
“We told Zelenskyy, ‘Do whatever you want, but don’t target diesel fuel.’ And what does he do? He goes and targets diesel fuel. He can do whatever he wants, but he can’t do that,” the U.S. president added.
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia,” announced the implementation of measures in October to reduce personnel costs: the company must save at least 200 million hryvnias per month in payroll expenses; in particular, the management staff will switch to a four-day workweek.
“These steps will not be easy and will affect a significant portion of our staff. This will mean fewer paid working hours and lower earnings. I understand how painful this is for your families, especially as winter approaches. However, without these steps, the railway cannot survive under current conditions,” Pertsovskyi noted in an address on the “UZ” corporate channel.
He emphasized that Ukrzaliznytsia’s priority will remain minimizing the impact of these measures on the operational staff who ensure train operations and perform repairs on the railway infrastructure.
According to him, the implementation of these decisions will primarily affect management bodies—specifically, the central office and regional branches—as well as administrative and engineering staff.
Among other measures is the suspension of bonus payments to administrative staff in the management offices of branches, regional offices, and operational units.
“This is the only way to preserve bonuses for the operational staff—those who work day and night on restoration and repairs and ensure train operations. We appreciate the contribution of administrative staff and understand the importance of their work, but today we are forced to make this choice,” added Pertsovskyi.
At the same time, he mentioned the possibility of offering part-time work in the company’s divisions and branches.
“I can assure you: as soon as the situation begins to stabilize (at least when freight volumes partially recover and the ports reopen), the first thing we will gradually ease is the restrictions on personnel expenses to improve our employees’ situation!” emphasized the chairman of the UZ board.
He noted that meetings with staff will be held in the coming days and weeks to explain these decisions.
In addition, Pertsovskyi announced that a briefing on the current situation and future plans will be held for railway employees at least once a month.
Ukrzaliznytsia explained that these decisions are driven, in particular, by a decline in freight volume to less than 250,000 metric tons per day—down from 450,000 metric tons in July and over 730,000 metric tons prior to Russia’s full-scale aggression.
The situation is further complicated by Russian attacks, which put up to 40 locomotives out of service each month, requiring significant resources for repairs.
In addition, Pertsovskyi pointed out the need to secure “hundreds of millions of hryvnias” to build mobile shelters at the company’s facilities to ensure the safety of its employees.
“Therefore, without optimizing personnel costs—a last resort to which we are resorting—we will not be able to survive!” the chairman of the board concluded.
The Interfax-Ukraine news agency contacted the Ukrzaliznytsia press service for comment to clarify the details of the decision.
cost savings, FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION, STAFF, UKRAINE, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
Georgia has the highest balance of positive and negative attitudes among Ukrainians among the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia included in the study—48.5 percentage points. Azerbaijan scored 40.1 percentage points, while Uzbekistan’s score was 11.1 percentage points. These findings come from the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
57.3% of Ukrainians surveyed view Georgia positively, 32.1% neutrally, 8.8% negatively, and another 1.8% were undecided. The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at 48.5 percentage points and has gradually increased over the three waves of the survey: from 45.6 percentage points in August 2025 to 47.5 percentage points in March 2026 and 48.5 percentage points in August of this year. The current figures for positive attitudes and the balance are confirmed by the published survey data.
A positive attitude toward Azerbaijan was expressed by 48.7% of respondents, a neutral one by 39.5%, a negative one by 8.6%, and another 3.1% chose the “difficult to answer” option. The balance stands at 40.1 percentage points. Compared to March 2026, it has risen from 37.8 percentage points, but remains lower than the August 2025 level of 51 percentage points. In terms of the share of positive assessments, Azerbaijan ranks second in this regional group after Georgia.
Attitudes toward Uzbekistan are characterized primarily by a high proportion of neutral assessments. 25.6% of respondents view the country positively, 55.6% neutrally, 14.5% negatively, and another 4.3% are undecided. The balance between positive and negative responses is 11.1 percentage points. In the study’s analytical materials, the high proportion of neutral responses is noted as a characteristic feature of perceptions of countries in the region that receive less media attention from the Ukrainian audience.
Thus, the balance remains positive for all three countries surveyed, but the structure of the assessments differs significantly. In the case of Georgia, the overwhelming majority of respondents express a positive attitude; positive assessments also prevail regarding Azerbaijan, while a neutral stance dominates in assessments of Uzbekistan.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized the importance of systematic communication between foreign partners and Ukrainian society.
“Second, we must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public. We also need to make use of our sociological data,” Urakin noted. According to him, it is important for embassies to regularly inform the Ukrainian audience about specific results of cooperation and to maintain full-fledged communication in the Ukrainian language.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, drew attention to the need to develop the practical component of international economic cooperation.
“We should focus not only on raising general awareness. We need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive trade balance,” Pozniy noted. He also highlighted the role of business associations, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in developing bilateral relations.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. A total of 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older were surveyed. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region, and the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the survey, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, AZERBAIJAN, Central Asia, EXPERTS CLUB, GEORGIA, international relations, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, the Caucasus, UKRAINE, URAKIN, UZBEKISTAN
The intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraine threatens to trigger a humanitarian crisis as winter approaches, as attacks on cities and critical infrastructure could leave millions of people without electricity, heating, and water, said Khaled Khiairi, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, during a UN Security Council meeting, noting that Russian attacks have reached “a new horrific level.”
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than 100 civilians were killed and at least 429 were injured in Ukraine over the course of the week as a result of Russian strikes.
Hiari noted that strikes on bridges, educational institutions, and energy infrastructure are causing disruptions to electricity and water supplies, while prolonged air raid alerts are intensifying the psychological pressure on the civilian population. He called for an immediate halt to attacks on energy facilities and populated areas.
“All attacks directed against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur, constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and must cease immediately,” the UN representative stated.
During the meeting, Gemma Connell, Director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, speaking on behalf of UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, announced a $358 million winter response plan. It aims to assist 2 million of the most vulnerable people by providing heating, shelter, and food.
“No amount of preparedness can replace the protection of the infrastructure on which the civilian population depends,” Connell emphasized, calling for the protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, safe evacuation, and the safety of humanitarian personnel.
Ukraine’s representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, stated at the meeting that Russian attacks on the civilian population have reached an unprecedented level of brutality. According to him, UN observers confirmed the deaths of 2,222 civilians and injuries to more than 13,000 people in Ukraine in 2026. He also mentioned strikes on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and on bridges that provide civilians with access to hospitals, food, and safe places.
Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN, warned that attacks on Black Sea ports threaten global food security. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), wheat prices rose by 6.3% in September.
Chiari also drew attention to incidents involving drones near Moldova and attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. Separately, he reported that in the occupied town of Oleshky, according to available information, approximately 2,000 civilians, including 35 children, remain trapped without food or medical supplies. An urgent local ceasefire is necessary for their evacuation.
The volume of construction work completed in Ukraine from January through August 2026 decreased by 9.9% compared to January through August 2025, according to data from the State Statistics Service (Derzhstat).
According to the statistical agency, the volume of construction output in January–August totaled 156.5 billion hryvnias.
According to the State Statistics Service, over the eight-month period, the volume of residential construction decreased by 3.8% compared to January–August of last year, nonresidential construction by 6.3%, and civil engineering structures by 13.7%.
In August 2026, compared to August 2025, construction volumes decreased by 3.7%, including residential construction by 2.3% and civil engineering structures by 12.2%. At the same time, construction volumes for non-residential buildings increased by 9.8%.
In August 2026, compared with the previous month, construction volumes increased by 12.9%; specifically, in the residential category by 0.2%, in nonresidential buildings by 25.3%, and in civil engineering structures by 8.8%.
According to the agency’s seasonally adjusted data, construction output indices in August 2026 stood at 62% for residential construction, 155% for nonresidential construction, and in civil engineering at 112%; taking into account the calendar-day effect, the figures were 63.1%, 156.5%, and 115.4%, respectively.
The share of new construction in the total volume of construction work completed in July was 44.6%, repairs—30.3%, and reconstruction and other work—25.1%.
CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURE, REAL ESTATE, State Statistics Service, UKRAINE
