Economy
The US is not counting on negotiations with Iran, as evidenced by plans to ease sanctions on Russian oil
The US expects the sanctions exemptions on Russian oil to be extended. Such a move could pave the way for a similar decision regarding Iranian oil.
Oil prices are rising amid restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices rose at the end of the week due to concerns over supplies from Saudi Arabia and a sharp drop in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shmyhal has announced a new framework for Ukraine’s energy security
Ukraine is transitioning to a new model of energy security, based on a combination of large-scale generation, flexible capacity and local community autonomy. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal has stated that in 2026 the state plans to launch a tender for the construction of up to 1.3 GW of new generation capacity, and this year it aims to commission 1.5 GW of distributed gas-fired generation.
Orest Mandziy has been appointed head of the State Customs Service: the government has appointed a new head of customs
The government has appointed Orest Mandziya as head of the State Customs Service. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who noted that the nomination had been put forward by Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko following an open competition. The Cabinet expects the new head to continue customs reforms and build a more transparent and efficient system.
Donald Trump’s inner circle is suspected of exploiting the war for personal gain
Against the backdrop of the conflict surrounding Iran and sharp fluctuations in oil prices, attention has been drawn to major stock market deals concluded shortly before US President Donald Trump’s statements. Some experts suggest there may be signs of insider trading, whilst the White House rejects such allegations.
The decline of the Russian automotive industry: KAMAZ has shortened the working week, AvtoVAZ has halted production
Russia’s two largest car manufacturers – Kamaz and AvtoVAZ – have found themselves in a state of systemic crisis, which the official rhetoric about the industry’s ‘resilience’ is no longer able to conceal.
The Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich escorted the sanctioned tankers across the English Channel
A Russian frigate escorted oil tankers subject to sanctions as they passed through the English Channel. This came after the UK government announced its intention to step up measures against the so-called shadow fleet.
£46.5 million for free school meals for all pupils: Svyrydenko reveals the details
The government has allocated an additional 46.5 million hryvnias to complete the modernisation of school canteens, whilst also confirming a broader objective: to provide hot lunches to all schoolchildren across the country from 1 September 2026. This concerns 19 facilities that are already at an advanced stage of completion and can open sooner than others.
The married couple, MPs Zheleznyak and Koval, received 1.63 million hryvnias in compensation from the budget for 2025
MPs Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Olga Koval received 1,633,440 UAH in compensation and reimbursements from the state budget for 2025 in connection with the performance of their parliamentary duties. At the same time, the amount of budgetary payments declared by Zheleznyak turned out to be higher than his annual salary in the Verkhovna Rada.
The Verkhovna Rada has set up a temporary investigative commission to investigate threats to economic security
Parliament has introduced a mechanism to scrutinise the actions of senior officials that could have harmed the economy, with the aim of strengthening oversight. The investigation will also cover the use of international aid and loans.
Lifecell has invested 16 billion hryvnias in its network and has almost doubled its tax payments
Over the four years of the war, the mobile operator lifecell has invested around 16 billion hryvnias in network development and energy resilience. At the same time, the company has almost doubled its tax contributions: in 2025, it paid 3.96 billion hryvnias to budgets at all levels, compared with 2.03 billion hryvnias in 2022.
Amid the war in Iran, Russia is also profiting from gas by offering South Asian countries sanctioned LNG at a discount of up to 40%
Russia is attempting to capitalise on the natural gas shortage by offering liquefied natural gas from projects subject to sanctions to countries in South Asia. The supplies are being offered at a significant discount.
