Svyrydenko outlines three new winter support programs for Ukrainians
Svyrydenko outlined key points of three winter support programs for Ukrainians. (Photo: Yuliia Svyrydenko/Telegram)
A one-time payment of 1,000 hryvnias (about $25) to every
citizen living in Ukraine is part of a new winter support package, Prime
Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko announced in a Telegram
post on Nov. 5.
The money can be used for basic needs such as utilities,
medicine, or books — or donated to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Svyrydenko said the government is still finalizing the full list of eligible
purchases. The program’s details are expected to be published by Nov. 15.
The second program includes a one-time payment of 6,500
hryvnias (about $165) for those in greatest need.
It targets vulnerable groups: orphans, children under
guardianship, children with disabilities in designated families, internally
displaced children, displaced people with disabilities, and elderly people
living alone. The funds may be spent on medicine, clothing, and footwear.
Svyrydenko said the assistance will be available through the
Diia Card or a current account with a special usage regime.
The state is allocating 4.3 billion hryvnias (about $110
million) to this program, which is expected to reach 660,000 people.
She also highlighted the UZ-3000 program, which provides
free train travel within Ukraine.
Svyrydenko said the government has begun co-financing
passenger transportation, as the actual cost of tickets is on average three to
four times higher than what passengers currently pay.
Previously, she noted, the shortfall was covered by profits
from freight transport. But ongoing combat has reduced cargo volumes, and those
resources are no longer sufficient.
“To support the railway during this difficult time, the
government is allocating funds from the state budget to cover part of the
deficit. These are taxpayer funds, so it’s only logical that citizens should
directly benefit,” Svyrydenko said.
The UZ-3000 program will allow people to travel up to 3,000
kilometers across Ukraine for free, but only on days when long-distance trains
have vacant seats.
The initiative is expected to help balance supply and demand
in passenger transportation, ease pressure on the railways during peak periods,
and promote more efficient use of public funds.
Svyrydenko added that the program does not place any
additional burden on the state budget, while Ukrzaliznytsia will gain
flexibility to develop its own compensation mechanisms — including more dynamic
pricing in the premium segment, similar to airline ticketing models.
Earlier, she said the Cabinet of Ministers had already
allocated 13 billion hryvnias (about $330 million) from Ukraine’s reserve fund
to stabilize Ukrzaliznytsia’s finances in 2025.
In 2024, the company’s passenger transport losses topped 18
billion hryvnias (about $460 million), and are projected to exceed 22 billion
hryvnias (about $560 million) in 2025.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first announced the UZ-3000
program on Nov. 1.
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