# Business
The level of counterfeiting of hryvnia banknotes has fallen by a third in Ukraine
By the end of 2025, the level of counterfeiting of national currency banknotes had fallen by two-thirds compared with 2024. The most commonly seized counterfeit banknotes were those in denominations of 500 and 200 hryvnias.
Meta is laying off 10% of its workforce to fund AI projects
Meta has announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce, amounting to approximately 8,000 people, and to cancel thousands of job vacancies.
Over the next five years, the number of billionaires worldwide could rise by 25% — The Guardian
By 2031, the number of billionaires worldwide could reach 3,915. The world’s wealthiest individuals are accumulating wealth at an accelerated pace thanks to technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence.
In the Chernobyl exclusion zone, radioactive land was sown, and the harvest was sold at the market
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has referred a case concerning the unlawful use of land in the Chernobyl exclusion zone for profit to the courts.
Kyivstar is testing messaging apps via Starlink’s direct satellite connection
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading mobile operator, is launching trials of data transmission in Light Data mode via the Starlink satellite network.
The ESBU has uncovered a scheme to fragment a retail chain in the Poltava region
Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau have carried out searches at a large chain of grocery stores operating across several regions of Ukraine. Investigators believe the company used thousands of sole traders to minimise its tax liability.
The AMCU has frozen the accounts of one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors, Optima-Pharm
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine has ordered the freezing of the accounts of one of Ukraine’s largest pharmaceutical distributors. The company in question is Optima-Pharm.
Condom prices could rise by 30% due to the war in Iran — Reuters
The Malaysian company Karex Bhd, the world’s largest condom manufacturer, plans to raise its prices by 30% if the war in the Middle East continues.
Despite police raids, the UVAPE chain remains open, according to a Telegraf investigation
Amid high-profile statements from law enforcement agencies about a major crackdown on the vaping market, journalists from the Telegraf newspaper conducted their own investigation and found that the chain, which was recently the subject of high-profile raids, remains in operation.
A digital platform for farmers, AKIS, has been launched in Ukraine
The Ministry of Economy has launched AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System), a unified national platform for agricultural knowledge and innovation – a digital tool designed to simplify farmers’ access to knowledge, technology and expert support.
Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple’s CEO after 15 years in the role: who will replace him?
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down. From 1 September, he will become chairman of the board of directors.
The number of sole traders in Ukraine has risen by 11,000 since the start of 2026
Since the start of 2026, the number of sole traders in Ukraine has increased by 11,297. During this period, 63,920 people started their own businesses; however, Danylo Getmantsev, chair of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy, stated that this trend does not in itself indicate either a business boom or a rapid economic recovery.
