Zelensky announces new "winter support" program with free travel on Ukrzaliznytsia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the preparation of a large-scale "winter support" package for citizens, which will include financial assistance, as it did last year, and free rail travel. He said this in an address on Saturday.

"Last winter, almost 14 million Ukrainians benefited from a thousand hryvnias of support and other government support programs. This winter, we will also help our people. I have instructed the government to form a sufficiently significant package of programs that will start working in December, "winter support," said the President.

The state budget revenues for 2026 are preliminarily planned at UAH 2.8 trillion, while expenditures are more than UAH 4.8 trillion. If the amount of winter support program remains at the level of UAH 1000, its amount within the state will be only 0.3% of total expenditures.

The main difference from the previous year will be the new program "UZ-3000".

"3000 km, so that everyone can choose the Lviv-Kyiv, Kyiv-Dnipro, or any other railway routes within Ukraine for free. 3000 km for free," Zelensky said.

"Since our government supports the passenger transportation sector, the company must give a tangible response to people. The funds used really serve the society," he said.

Details of "winter support" to be announced by the Cabinet of Ministers by November 15.

• For the past two years, Ukrzaliznytsia has been operating at a loss due to a reduction in freight traffic. Passenger transportation does not bring profit to the company, except for a small number of international routes.
• The company is experiencing an acute shortage of passenger rolling stock: in 2019-2024, 1087 passenger cars were out of service, and in 2025-2029, due to the deadline, another 300 cars will have to be decommissioned.
• In July 2026, Ukrzaliznytsia must repay $700 million of debt that it does not have.