Konjunktur: Ukrainische Wirtschaft stürzt ab – Wachstum nur noch bei 0,6 Prozent

Berlin - The Ukrainian economy is plunging deeper into crisis due to Russian airstrikes, with economists predicting only a 0.6 percent growth this year, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the previous summer's forecast. The leading German economic research institute expects the growth rate to rebound to 2.1 percent in 2027, but this depends on Ukraine receiving sufficient financial and military support from abroad.

"Russia's massive airstrikes and the resulting destruction of energy infrastructure, critical infrastructure, and Black Sea loading facilities, as well as the blockade of ports, are increasingly straining the Ukrainian economy," said Olga Pindyuk, a Ukraine expert at the wiiw. The fifth winter of war poses a severe test for Ukraine.

Agriculture is hit particularly hard due to the destruction of export infrastructure. Grain exports fell by 70 percent in August compared to the previous month. Steel mills also had to temporarily halt production. The Ukrainian Central Bank has increased its benchmark interest rate to 16 percent to combat the high inflation rate of around 10 percent, which makes loans more expensive for businesses and households.