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The Pentagon has stopped supplying some air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine that were promised by Biden administration. The decision was made due to concerns that US arsenals have become depleted. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed that supplies be postponed a few weeks after his order to review US ammunition stockpiles, which have been drained. Among the weapons being retained are dozens of Patriot interceptor missiles, thousands of 155-mm high-explosive shells for howitzers, over 100 Hellfire

“When it comes to Ukraine in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get. Last week, President Trump and President Zelenskyy discussed this, focusing specifically on air defense,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He added that support for Ukraine from European partners is increasing and “already reaches $45B,” but this support is not immediate, and the allies cannot operate effectively without “practical support from the US.” “It is in the interests of the US

While the US and the international community watch the recent escalation between Iran and Israel, Vladimir Putin moved quickly to escalate hostilities in Ukraine. According to analysts, in June Russian forces took more Ukrainian territory than in any month since November 2023. This mainly involves advancing in the eastern regions and gathering troops near the Sumy area. Ukraine also reported the largest air strike since the full-scale invasion began, which happened in June. Although Russia’s gains are limited, experts believe

Representatives of the German government have already signed the first contract to finance the Ukrainian production of these weapons after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised to help Kyiv with their development. The project includes the production of over 500 Antonov-196 kamikaze drones (AN-196), which have a flight range of 1,200 kilometers and carry explosive charges weighing around 50 kilograms. The UAVs will be ready in the coming months. Ukraine is already producing these weapons, and on Tuesday it again attacked

Ukrainian banks issued 458 mortgage loans totaling ₴834.8M in April, a 5% increase from March, according to NBU data. Specifically, 261 loans for ₴492.3M were granted in the primary real estate market, while 197 loans for ₴342.5M were issued in the secondary market. The weighted average effective rate was 8% annually in the primary market and 9.7% in the secondary market. The quality of the mortgage portfolio remains strong, with the share of non-performing loans steady at 15%. Regionally, the

According to a new projection by the Vienna-based economic research institute, annual GDP growth slowed to 1% in the first quarter of 2025, down from 2.9% last year. For 2025, wiiw predicts growth of 2.5%, which is 0.5% lower than their spring forecast. Positive signs from strong consumer demand and robust industrial production, especially in the defense sector, will not be able to offset the damage caused by Russia’s ongoing aggression. Inflation continued to rise from April to May and

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s biggest steel plant, faces closure because of soaring electricity costs, said the company’s financial director, Pavlo Zadorozhny. He stated that the company has been losing money for the past four years, and that support from the parent company cannot last forever. In May, the electricity price for ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih surpassed €94 per MWh, the highest in Europe. By comparison, in France, where nuclear power is also dominant, the cost was around €20. The primary reasons

The Ukrainian government has initiated a pilot project to develop a municipal rental housing program. Priority will be given to veterans, the relatives of fallen defenders, military personnel, internally displaced persons, orphans, teachers, doctors, and utility workers. The standard housing will be 40 square meters for a family of two, including furniture and appliances. Rent will be calculated using a special formula based on regional conditions and will be considerably lower than market rates – around ₴6,000 ($145) per month

Hesburger, the leading fast-food chain in Finland, plans to open at least 10 outlets in western Ukraine over the next five years. The total investment for the project will reach €12M. Founded in 1966, Hesburger has grown to include over 480 restaurants across nine countries as of 2025. In Ukraine, Hesburger operates seven locations in Kyiv and the surrounding region. In March 2025, Hesburger invested €7.3M to establish a production and warehouse facility near Kyiv for the preparation of hamburger

The Opos-Torg company, which is involved in wholesale trading of meat and fish, invested €5.5M, including €4M during the war, to build a new plant in the Volyn region. The plant will produce frozen semi-finished meat products and freeze-dried animal feed under the Cosset brand. There will be two types of production: semi-finished products for people and treats for animals. About 60% of the products are expected to be exported to the EU, Great Britain, Canada, and Scandinavian countries. The

WB analysts pointed out that Ukrainian Railways (UZ) needs to enhance and reform its operations to meet upcoming economic shifts and the opening of the rail freight market. “In the medium term, demand for raw materials and goods traditionally transported by rail may decline, while shipments of higher-value goods are expected to rise. To mitigate potential income losses, UZ should focus on improving container logistics, developing intermodal terminals, and boosting operational efficiency,” the experts stated. They also mentioned the anticipated

The war has caused a significant decline in the country’s workforce. Currently, around 1.7 million Ukrainians who used to work domestically are now abroad, according to Deputy Minister of Social Policy Daria Marchak. She highlighted a severe demographic crisis characterized by rapid aging, with the proportion of people aged 65 and older rising from 12% in 1991 to 22% in 2024. Demographers estimate that due to ongoing challenges and threats from the war, Ukraine’s population might fall to 28.9 million

In early May 2025, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko signed a historic agreement with the United States of America that established a reconstruction investment fund on behalf of Ukraine. This document went through several stages of preparation and withstood many rounds of discussion. Its content was widely discussed in numerous Ukrainian and foreign media channels, so we decided to talk to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Environmental Policy and Environmental

Unlike the Trump administration, few in Europe believe Moscow will agree to a ceasefire. One Ukrainian official believes Russia’s main goal now is to seize Odesa, which Putin sees as a historically Russian city, and without it, Ukraine will lose access to the Black Sea. Ukrainian officials are increasingly calling for a ceasefire in closed meetings with Western allies, although a year or two ago such calls would have been seen as defeatist. Experts say the situation for the Ukrainian

To end the conflict, Russia demands Ukrainian authorities stop training soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Western countries. “The participation or complicity of other countries in the military conflict is a key point that must be stopped. Both in the form of supplying weapons and in the form of training Ukrainian militants. A demonstration of a desire to resolve the conflict is the termination of these programs,” said Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnyk. Over 200,000 Ukrainian

Natural gas reserves in Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities (UGS) exceeded eight billion cubic meters as of June 28. These facilities are now at 25.9% of their capacity. Compared to last year, UGS stores currently hold 19.6%, or 1.95 billion cubic meters, less gas. This year’s reserves are the lowest in at least 11 years, but the gap with last year’s figures is narrowing. Since early June, 1.25 billion cubic meters of gas have been injected into Ukrainian UGS, which

The IMF’s baseline scenario assumes the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine by the end of 2025. According to IMF expectations, if peace is reached Ukraine’s economic growth will rise to 4.5% in 2026. However, Ukraine needs guarantees and resources for economic growth. “A peaceful settlement without reliable security guarantees and/or sufficient financial resources for reconstruction and defense could lead to adverse economic and social consequences,” experts warn. The IMF notes that uncertainty will hinder the return of refugees, the

As of mid-2025, at least eight foreign companies have already opened or plan to open arms production facilities in Ukraine. These includes research, assembly, maintenance, and repair operations, as well as full-scale production of armored vehicles, artillery, ammunition, strike drones, small arms, and even air defense systems. Companies from Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, and Turkey have already invested in local manufacturing. Other countries are currently in the planning stage. Facilities that have already opened in Ukraine: Atlas Aerospace (Latvia)

The IMF Executive Board approved an additional tranche to Ukraine under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). As a result, Ukraine has already received the ninth tranche of approximately $500M under the program. In total, payments under the program amount to $10.6B out of the planned $15.5B for 2023-2027. “The IMF noted the progress of the Ukrainian side in fulfilling the conditions of the EFF program as of the end of March 2025. The Ukrainian economy remains resilient, and the program

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy is working to create a storage network, as currently 35% of the Ukrainian vegetable harvest does not reach consumers due to poor storage conditions. Many storage facilities have been destroyed by the Russians, resulting in the loss of more than 281,000 tons of storage capacity. The total deficit now exceeds 1.1 million tons. It’s important to note that vegetable storage facilities are not just warehouses. They also serve as: opportunities to store the harvest and