Business Week: Priorities of the new government, SAP against Stefanyshyna, sanctions against Russia

Last week brought a number of significant events that will shape the Ukrainian economy and business environment in the coming months. The new government leadership, headed by Yulia Svyrydenko, promises revolutionary changes – from deregulation to military self-sufficiency. Large companies are preparing for global transformations – Nova Poshta is changing its CEO after ten years of successful leadership, while the Techno Hedgehog network has come under the scrutiny of law enforcement.

The European Union has finally approved the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. Even more: it immediately began preparing the next one. But internal problems haven't disappeared – from scandals surrounding high-ranking officials to systemic disruptions in the supply of food for the army. At the same time, the state is trying to respond to the demographic challenge with millions of payments for children.

LIGA.net reports on the key events of the week that is passing.

The new prime minister has defined strategic goals.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko outlined the government's priorities For the first six months: high-quality supply for the army, increasing domestic arms production, and improving the technological capabilities of the military. She declared a course towards "self-sufficiency" – military, economic, and social – and also promised comprehensive deregulation, stopping pressure on businesses, and accelerating privatization.

"We need quick and tangible steps, including comprehensive deregulation, stopping unauthorized pressure on businesses, accelerating large-scale privatization, and further implementing effective support mechanisms. So that everything is 'made in Ukraine'," she said.

According to her, the government has already started optimizing the state apparatus and auditing expenditures with the aim of reducing them.

The EU has approved a powerful package of sanctions against Russia.

European Union countries, July 18 agreed on the 18th package of sanctions against Russia after Slovakia lifted its veto. The main element was the introduction of a "floating" price cap on oil, which will be updated every three months and will be 15% below the market price. The package also included sanctions against 105 vessels of the "shadow fleet", a ban on the operation of "Nord Stream" and sanctions against Chinese banks that help circumvent the restrictions.

Immediately after the approval of the 18th package of sanctions by the European Union started working on the next one, said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. He stressed that each new package strengthens the signal: "Ukraine is not alone, and Russia will not go unpunished."

The main element of the current package was the reduction of the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel.

SAPC is investigating the case against Stefanishyna.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, following a journalistic investigation. opened a criminal case / initiated criminal proceedings against the authorized representative for cooperation with the USA, Olga Stefanishina.

According to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, the SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) opened a case on suspicion of abuse of power or official position, which caused serious consequences (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation concerns the fact that people close to Stefanyshyna, including her ex-husband, received four large properties under management through ARMA.

"The SAP has initiated proceedings based on the facts presented in the article by Ukrainska Pravda. Currently, no one has been notified of suspicion in this criminal proceeding. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing," said SAP spokeswoman Olga Postoluk.

Dutch court bans solar panels near airport

The court in Haarlem, Netherlands obligated the owner of the solar power plant, The company De Groene Energie Corridor (DGEC) has been ordered to dismantle more than 78,000 panels near Schiphol Airport. The glare from them blinds pilots during landing.

DGEC, Schiphol Airport, and the Dutch airline KLM agree that glare from the solar panels negatively impacts safety. The dispute between the parties primarily concerns who should pay for the dismantling. The cost of the work is estimated at over €10 million.

Two weeks ago, the pilot testified in court about having to steer the plane with one hand to protect his eyes from the reflected sunlight. Therefore, the airport and KLM filed a motion for expedited proceedings so that the court would make a quick decision. The court ruled that DGEC must ensure the dismantling of the solar panels as quickly as possible. Who will ultimately receive the bill will be determined later.

If the company fails to comply with the decision, it will have to pay the airport 1 million euros, and the fine could increase to 25 million euros. The cost of dismantling is estimated at over 10 million euros.

Kyiv official suspended over metro flooding

The Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv for two months removed from office / suspended from duty / removed from position Ruslan Kandibor, director of the Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Transport Infrastructure, is suspected of negligence in the performance of his duties, which led to the untimely detection of an emergency situation in the metro tunnel and the closure of traffic between the "Lybidzka" and "Teremky" stations. The court also chose a preventive measure in the form of nighttime house arrest.

"The prosecutors will appeal this decision, as they had petitioned the court to impose 24-hour house arrest with an electronic bracelet on the official," the prosecutor's office said.

CEO of Nova Poshta is leaving his position.

Oleksandr Bulba, who has headed Nova Poshta since 2015, will leave the position of CEO December 31, 2025. Under his leadership, the annual delivery volume increased from 93 million to 500 million parcels, and the network grew 25-fold. The co-owners explained the decision by the fact that even the most successful projects need a fresh perspective, especially considering plans to enter international markets.

"That is why the company's co-owners, together with Oleksandr, made a joint decision: 2025 will be the final year of his tenure as CEO of Nova Poshta," the company said in a statement.

"Techno Hedgehog" reported searches by the State Bureau of Investigations.

The "Techno Hedgehog" electronics store chain announced that on July 11, employees of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) psearches were conducted in the company's offices, at the warehouses and in the apartment of the founder, Oleksiy Hulyy. The company reported that the searches were carried out without any violations, and no goods were seized, as all the equipment turned out to be official and purchased from a certified distributor. Only a few notebooks and work computers were seized.

Techno Hedgehog denied the information circulating on Telegram channels regarding the alleged large-scale seizure of goods and recorded violations.

"This is not true. The photos and videos that were circulated are not our premises at all, and the use of such headlines along with photos of our stores was manipulation," the statement said.

The state will increase support for families with children.

The total amount of state support per family with a child from birth to 18 years old. will amount to at least 1.08 million UAH at current pricesSuch innovations are foreseen in the new government bill.

The document mentions increasing the one-time payment upon birth to 50,000 UAH. It also includes the introduction of the "e-Nurseries" program with a monthly payment of 8,000 UAH to cover nanny services. Furthermore, there's a "Schoolbag for the Student" program providing 5,000 UAH for first-graders.

The innovations include free infertility treatment (84,900 UAH), a "Baby Package" worth 7,689 UAH, and full coverage of the costs of childbirth and medical care for newborns.

Free medical care is provided for children aged 1 to 3 years, and under the "e-nursery" program, parents will receive increased support of up to 16,000 UAH for children with disabilities. Renovation of dormitories in vocational schools and colleges is also planned, with a budget of 100 million UAH.

This is a response to the critical demographic situation in the country: in 2024, only 176,000 children were born, while almost 500,000 people died. In 2023, 187,387 children were born – 32% less than in 2021. The purpose of the bill is to create conditions for increasing the birth rate and harmonizing parenthood with professional activity.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have recorded massive violations by food suppliers.

The Logistics Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported over 1000 contract violations for the supply of products to military units in the first half of 2025. The main violations included: supplying goods without quality certificates, under-supply, failure to meet deadlines, and attempts to supply counterfeit butter and cheese.

"These violations of the terms of state contracts have, for example, brought the provision of dietary nutrition to servicemen in medical facilities to the brink of collapse, and all documented attempts to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with low-quality food are one of the main factors in the decline of the morale of the personnel," the command emphasized.

The Logistics Forces said that due to this situation, they have started working in advance – and transitional reserves of basic food items are being created in military units, calculated for up to 14 days.

Coffee maker Gemini recovers after missile strike

Gemini Espresso, one of the largest Ukrainian coffee and tea producers, resumes operations after the missile strike on Kyiv on June 10At that time, the finished goods warehouse and the service center were destroyed.

According to the company's CEO, Anton Myanovsky, about 800 coffee machines sold by Gemini Espresso were destroyed in the fire. Each machine costs between 500 and 15,000 euros. "80 tons of finished product – roasted and packaged coffee – were also destroyed (This is 44% of monthly production – Ed.)", he says.

In less than a month, the manufacturer restored part of its business processes, including the operation of the destroyed service center.

After the shelling, the company delayed the shipment of products for only one or two days. Gemini received significant support from its partners. For example, suppliers extended the payment terms for the products. And a competitor – the largest Ukrainian coffee producer "Viennese Coffee" – provided coffee machines for sale.

Customers also showed their support – retail sales of coffee through the Gemini online store increased by 400% after the shelling.