Business losses from the war this year amounted to $7.7 billion. The main points from the Prime Minister Koretskyʼs interview

Russian attacks have caused $7.7 billion in business losses since the beginning of 2026. The Russians have destroyed or significantly damaged over 1 million m² of real estate, including warehouse and logistics.

This was reported by Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.

According to the Prime Minister, the country continues to share with business all intelligence and information reports: where they are hitting, what are the consequences. He said that the government often meets with business representatives.

At the last meeting, a few days ago, they discussed a proposal to increase VAT by 1% to form a special fund for compensation for insurance and military risks.

Changes to booking rules

According to him, there are now more people who have a deferment or are booked than those who are serving. Every month, tens of thousands of people are booked or given a deferment. That is why the government will change the booking rules, but the bookings of truly critical companies will not be changed.

“We are only reviewing cases where critical status is used formally to book people who are not related to truly critical work,” Koretsky said.

Preparing for winter

According to the prime minister, this year Russia has changed its tactics of attacking critical infrastructure, which is why it is necessary to “prepare for much more difficult everyday circumstances”.

He added that the government already knows how to act when it comes to attacks on electricity and heat, but the Russians have focused on water supply in Kyiv. Therefore, the government is now preparing backup power, backup pumping stations, and various alternative types of supply.

Social support — which programs will continue?

The Prime Minister reported that the program "Affordable Loans 5-7-9%" has proven effective. This program was created to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine. The mechanism provides loans through state compensation and guarantees.

The government is also developing a pension reform, but there is currently no money in the budget for it. Due to the budget deficit, the government will either cancel or significantly reduce other programs.

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