Author’s articles
Kazakhstan has restricted border crossings for passenger cars and lorries from neighbouring countries to once a day. The government attributes this to efforts to combat the ‘grey market’ export of fuel, against the backdrop of a sharp rise in consumption in regions bordering Russia.
ARMA was unable to appoint an administrator for the seized assets of IDS Ukraine, whose portfolio includes the ‘Morshynska’ and ‘Mirgorodska’ brands. The tender on Prozorro concluded without a winner, with the sole participant being HOTEL RESPECT LLC, which reported a net profit of 3,500 UAH for 2025.
The State-owned Eastern Mining and Processing Plant is to receive 555 million hryvnias in repayable financial assistance from Energoatom. The funds are to be used to modernise the enterprise, increase uranium ore extraction and boost the production of uranium oxide concentrate.
Polish politician Krzysztof Tolwiński stated that his party, Front, had purchased medical supplies for Russian military personnel. In his statement, he also apologised to the Russian and Belarusian people for the actions of the Polish state.
NATO countries have pledged to provide Ukraine with 70 billion euros in military support in 2026. This includes military equipment, assistance and training, and in 2027 the allies intend to maintain at least the same level of support.
No severe magnetic storms are forecast for July 2026, but there will be several days of geomagnetic activity. The most notable peak is expected on 22 July, when the Kp index could rise to 5 points — the level of a weak G1 magnetic storm.
On 9 July, according to the new church calendar, Orthodox Christians commemorate the holy martyr Pankratius, Bishop of Tavromenia. In popular tradition, this day was known as ‘Berry Day’ or ‘Blueberry Day’, as the blueberry was considered the day’s main berry — it was eaten for health, beauty and good luck.
The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the rules governing the issue of driving licences and the authorisation of citizens to drive vehicles. From now on, the validity period of the licence will depend on the category: for cars and motorbikes, licences will be issued for 15 years, and for goods and passenger transport, for 5 years.
The government is preparing a new pension reform, which is set to change the rules for calculating pension payments in Ukraine. The aim is to link pensions to the contributions an individual has paid throughout their working life, and to divide the system into three parts: a solidarity-based, an occupational and a funded scheme.
Ukraine is moving away from a single-source water supply model towards redundant systems that will be able to operate even during attacks and power cuts. Twenty-nine projects are already being implemented across 14 regions, benefiting over 10 million people.
The Ministry of Culture has updated the criteria used to determine which enterprises, institutions and organisations in the cultural sector may be recognised as vital to the national economy. This relates to the procedure for exempting employees subject to military service, but the status itself does not imply automatic exemption.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mobilisation of a 57-year-old lyceum headteacher from the Kherson region. The case concerns a headteacher who has led the school for 35 years and, according to staff, did not abandon his colleagues even during the temporary occupation of the region.
