Society

The Cabinet of Ministers is launching a national internship programme for people aged 50 and over, called ‘Experience Matters’. Its aim is to help people with professional experience return to the labour market or find a new job.

The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court has upheld the confiscation of assets registered in the names of relatives and third parties of the former head of the State Environmental Inspectorate for the Carpathian Region. Following a partial review of the decision, the assets in question are worth almost 19 million hryvnias.

Giorgio Armani has left a will stipulating that his heirs must gradually sell the Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani following his death. LVMH, L’Oréal and EssilorLuxottica are named among the preferred buyers.

Maksym Buzhanskyi, a Member of Parliament for the “Servant of the People” party, has criticised the published plans for reforming the Territorial Defence Forces, which envisage the police taking on the role of delivering men to military registration and enlistment offices. He stated that such an idea would not solve the mobilisation problem, but would merely make the police “the scapegoat”.

In Ukraine, banks and currency exchange bureaux may refuse to accept US dollars if the notes are badly damaged, have large stains, tears, traces of paint, significant wear and tear, or if there are doubts as to their authenticity. At the same time, old $100 notes from 1996–2006 remain valid provided they are genuine and in good condition.

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From 2026, people with a Group 2 disability will be able to apply for their status not through the Medical and Social Expertise Commission (MSEC), but via a new system for assessing daily functioning. This category is entitled to pensions, social benefits, transport, medical and domestic concessions, as well as certain employment guarantees.

There are five Ukrainian seafarers on board the MV Hondius, where an outbreak of hantavirus has been reported. One of them is due to leave the ship shortly, whilst the other four will remain on board to sail the vessel to the Netherlands.

Ukraine is preparing a major reform of the armed forces, which will involve new contracts with guaranteed demobilisation, pay rises for military personnel, and a reform of the Territorial Recruitment Centres (TRCs). For combat personnel, contracts of 10–14 months and a new ‘10/20/40’ bonus system may be introduced, under which military personnel will receive up to 400,000 hryvnias per month. The Ministry of Defence also plans to transform the Territorial Recruitment Centres into ‘Reserve+ Offices’, with a division of mobilisation and social functions.

There is no fixed start date for the 2026 summer holidays in Ukrainian schools. The academic year may officially run until 30 June 2026, but each school determines the actual end of term and the date of the last bell independently.

Between 22 and 25 million people currently live in the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. This estimate was given by the Minister for Social Policy, Denys Ulyutin, who described the situation as a “disaster”.

In early 2026, Ukraine’s largest mobile operators – Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell – revised their tariffs almost simultaneously. On average, prices rose by 40–100 UAH, whilst for certain packages the increase amounted to a third of the previous cost.