Verkhovna Rada
Members of Parliament continued meetings with the candidates for the posts of Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The dialogue had lasted more than five hours the day before.
On August 18, two MPs from "Servant of the People," Andrii Zhupanin and Ostap Shypailo, submitted their resignations. Shypailo had previously voted for bills that drew criticism.
The Cabinet's program of activities provides for improving military registration and the remuneration system. It is also planned to raise €60 billion to purchase weapons.
The President of Ukraine submitted to the Verkhovna Rada the candidacies of Yevhen Khmara for the position of Minister of Defense and Andrii Sybiha for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. The vote is scheduled for tomorrow.
Lawmaker Zhelezniak reported that Yevhen Khmara will be nominated for the position of Minister of Defense, and Andrii Sybiha - for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. An official submission from the President is expected.
The Cabinet of Ministers has submitted a program of activities to the Verkhovna Rada, which envisages opening all negotiation clusters with the EU during 2026–2027 and being ready to close them in 2027.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted Draft Law No. 10399 on a new higher education funding system that introduces grants. The document provides for a transition to the principle of “funding follows the student” and will take effect in 2027.
In Dnipro, the only guardian of a 17-year-old orphaned girl was mobilized and sent to a training ground. Ombudsman Lubinets is выясing the circumstances, as the girl was left without a legal representative.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk announced an air raid alert in Kyiv and interrupted the plenary session. The deputies will proceed to shelters and resume work after the all-clear.
Bohdan Morklianyk and Viktoriia Reznikova have become members of parliament, replacing Denys Maslov and Vitalii Bezghin. Both previously ran unsuccessfully for the Servant of the People party.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the program of activities, which has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. Prime Minister Koretsky called on parliament to consider it as soon as possible.
Illegal mining was uncovered near Uzhhorod, with damages to the state amounting to nearly one billion hryvnias. Four participants in the scheme, including a regional council member, have been notified of suspicion.
In Mykolaiv region, the police and the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center detained a driver from the Kherson Red Cross unit who was evacuating civilians. Evacuation trips have been temporarily suspended, and the police have launched an internal investigation.
Former Ukrainian Member of Parliament of the 5th and 6th convocations Yevhen Shaho has died at the age of 84. He served as First Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers and headed the corporation “United Energy Systems of Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi presented the draft Government Action Programme at a meeting of the Coalition Council. The document provides for strengthening defense, supporting people and businesses, and accelerating European integration.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the head of the Zakarpattia Regional Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center had been suspended after violations of human rights and corruption risks were documented. He also accused the former leadership of the Ministry of Defense of inaction.
President Zelenskyy said that the NMT is frightening and adds stress, so this needs to be addressed. He proposes taking the test in safe shelters and providing the opportunity to take it a second time.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said that 375 Ukrainians had returned from Russian captivity dead. He emphasized that the priority is to bring severely wounded and seriously ill people back alive, particularly those on the Istanbul list.
Ombudsman for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said that at least 345 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after laying down their arms. The Russians shot unarmed prisoners, which violates international humanitarian law.
The Human Rights Commissioner stated that russia publicly executed Ukrainian prisoners who had official status and had been verified by the ICRC. At least 53 defenders were killed and around 130 wounded during the night of July 29, 2022.
The BEB initiates criminal proceedings based on internal analytical reports that are not evidence. This creates risks for businesses and deters the international investors needed for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ihor Klymenko held a meeting with the leadership of parliament and the Ministry of Defense on cooperation in the security sector. The funding of the military and the development of the defense industry were identified as priorities.
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that groundless investigative actions are the main barrier to investment. Ukraine's reconstruction requires $588 billion, including private capital.
Draft Law No. 15494 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, expanding the grounds for deferment. In particular, it may be granted to parents who raise children alone if the other parent is abroad for more than 90 days a year.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that the head of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center plans to fabricate criminal proceedings against his representative, Andrii Kriuchkov, after violations at the center were exposed. Lubinets called this interference in the work of the authorized representative.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets will appeal to the heads of law enforcement agencies with a demand to inspect the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers in Zakarpattia. He claims there have been systematic human rights violations and corruption risks in the region since 2023.
The President of the Association of Taxpayers of Ukraine, Grigol Katamadze, called on the state to develop unified rules for the taxation of aircraft leasing. He warned that further pressure on air carriers through criminal cases initiated by the Economic Security Bureau could destroy Ukrainian civil aviation.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets reported the evacuation of five Ukrainian teenagers from temporarily occupied territories. Among them is a 17-year-old girl who overcame difficulties with her documents.
Activists opposed the installation of a district heating network through a park zone in Teremky. The police stated that the work was being carried out legally and are maintaining public order.
The Ukrainian Air Transport Association appealed to the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada and the Public Council under the Ministry of Finance regarding a unified approach to the taxation of aviation leasing. Different interpretations of the rules have led to additional tax assessments and criminal proceedings by the Bureau of Economic Security against air carriers.