The US State Department is suspending visa processing for 75 countries, including Russia and Iran, starting January 21. This is due to a review of applicant screening procedures that could lead to a public charge.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has provided a detailed explanation of the structure of monetary allowances for military personnel, which includes basic, additional, and combat payments. One-time and social payments are also provided to support personnel.
The European Commission has approved a legislative package for financial support to Ukraine for 2026-2027 totaling €90 billion. This support includes military aid and general budgetary support, as well as the possibility of using Russian assets.
The head of the accounting group of a combat brigade in the Zaporizhzhia direction has been served with a notice of suspicion of fraud. He appropriated UAH 9.72 million by changing the details of servicemen's salary cards to his own accounts.
Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov announced significant financial and personnel challenges affecting the planning of payments to military personnel. Decisions on increasing payments will be made after analyzing the available capital.
Ihor Terekhov, head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, stated that the introduction of VAT for sole proprietors threatens the closure of up to 25% of small businesses.
The US Department of Defense is testing a device acquired by intelligence agencies that may be the cause of "Havana Syndrome. " The apparatus generates pulsed radio waves and contains Russian components.
President Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff, where they discussed air defense, providing troops with air defense missiles, and expanding the production of interceptors. Funding and contracts have been settled, but there is dissatisfaction with the pace of filling the PURL program.
Estonian Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that financial support for Ukraine should take precedence over EU budgetary discipline. He emphasized the need to mobilize resources to counter the threat to liberal democracy.
The Foreign Intelligence Service reports that the Russian authorities plan to launch "people's bonds" with high yields in seven subsidized regions. This is a way to shift the financial problems of the regions onto citizens, masking the fiscal crisis with attractive promises.
Germany and the Netherlands want Ukraine to be able to buy American weapons with the €90 billion EU loan. France insists on preferential treatment for EU military companies.
In Ukraine, the excise tax on fuel increased from the new year. Autogas prices rose by an average of 30 kopecks, while there were almost no changes in gasoline and diesel prices.
Russians are increasingly feeling the consequences of the Kremlin's bet on the defense-industrial complex to continue the "special military operation. " This leads to rising inflation and a decline in the quality of life. Putin has increased VAT, shifting the burden of war onto the population.
The Cabinet of Ministers plans to introduce additional payments for energy workers of repair crews who go to the sites of attacks in freezing weather. This applies to specialists who restore the supply of heat, electricity, water, and gas.
SAPO has completed the pre-trial investigation in the case of the embezzlement and legalization of over UAH 54 million from the state budget. The former MP organized the scheme by misleading the ECHR regarding Kyivenergo's debt, and the funds were legalized through conversion centers.
At the beginning of the year, the hryvnia began to weaken against the dollar and euro due to seasonal factors and the influence of external financing. A fintech expert predicts a gradual weakening of the hryvnia without sharp collapses.
In December 2025, Russian oil companies sharply reduced crude oil production. This happened against the backdrop of increased Western sanctions pressure and falling world prices.
Law enforcement officers exposed the director of a contracting company and a technical supervision engineer who embezzled UAH 5. 5 million during the repair of shelters in the Kherson region. The director inflated the cost of works, and the engineer approved unreliable acts.
The Prosecutor General's Office is stepping up its efforts to combat human trafficking. In 2025, 162 criminal offenses were registered, which is 47.1% more than in 2024.
Starting from February 1, 2026, a new procedure for affixing an apostille to official documents will come into force in Ukraine. The cost of the service will also increase from January 1, 2026.
Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who is under investigation, has been granted political asylum in Hungary. The move has heightened tensions between Warsaw's new government and its conservative predecessors.
The US dollar exchange rate showed its sharpest decline in three weeks. The reason was a legal conflict between the US presidential administration and the Fed, which intensified investors' fears.
The District of Columbia Attorney's Office has launched a criminal investigation against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The case concerns the reconstruction of the Fed's headquarters and alleged misinformation provided to Congress regarding the project's details.
The occupation administration of Kherson region eliminated transparent procedures in the agricultural sector by creating the "Kherson Grain Company. " This structure became a monopolistic intermediary in the distribution of land, concentrating resources in the hands of cronies.
Kepler Communications Inc. has successfully launched 10 new satellites into low Earth orbit using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. These satellites, each weighing 300 kg, will serve as "orbital data centers" and use lasers for data transmission.
Colombia is preparing a large-scale UAV countermeasure project after the US conducted a special operation in Venezuela and amid new threats from Trump.
The UK is investing over £210 million in cybersecurity, establishing a Government Cyber Unit to centralize risk management. This unit will coordinate responses to cyber incidents and protect government digital services.
Russian regions are experiencing an increasingly deep sense of hopelessness, as sanctions and the loss of external markets have exposed the structural weakness of their budgets. The worst situation is observed in depressed regions, as well as in industrial and metallurgical regions, where significant budget deficits are predicted.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may call early general elections in February 2026 to convert high approval ratings into a stable majority. The vote could take place on February 8 or 15.
Ukraine and the United States plan to sign an $800 billion agreement for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Details are expected to be finalized in Davos between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump.
