{
  "id": 8258538,
  "title": "As Russia targets Ukraine’s economy, keeping businesses alive takes priority",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/as-russia-targets-ukraines-economy-keeping-businesses-alive-takes",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T14:33:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/as-russia-targets-ukraines-economy-keeping-businesses-alive-takes-priority/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Businesses in Ukraine are facing an escalating challenge as Russian attacks continue to threaten their operations and the country's economy. Deputy Economy Minister Yegor Perelygin emphasized that the immediate concern is not just raising investment but ensuring the survival of supply chains and day-to-day operations, including pharmacies, food, and retail. The attacks have caused businesses to lose an estimated $10 billion this year alone, according to the Economy Ministry.\n\nGovernment efforts to attract investment have faced hurdles, as many businesses struggle to afford expensive war-risk insurance. With a shortage of air defense systems, companies operating in Ukraine are increasingly vulnerable to Russian attacks and find themselves unable to pay for such insurance. Government support appears limited, leaving businesses to rebuild on their own with scarce resources.\n\nOne of the major issues for companies has been accessing war-risk insurance, with only 94% of companies in Ukraine being able to afford the premiums. The government is working on a compensation fund to cover up to $10 million in first losses, with the remainder covered by insurers. This fund aims to make it easier and cheaper for insurers to cover businesses and help damaged assets return to operation quickly, with compensation expected within 30 days.\n\nIn response to the crisis, starting in January, businesses from critical sectors like agriculture and energy will be eligible for a 2% fee to join the program and protect fixed assets, while inventory and goods won't be covered. The state plans to finance the fund by increasing the VAT rate from 20% to 21%, which Perelygin says will raise $1 billion per year. Despite this plan, some businesses are unhappy with the VAT increase, as higher consumer prices could harm their bottom line.\n\nWhile the government has mostly focused on solutions for large or critical businesses, many smaller and noncritical companies feel they lack opportunities for support. For example, Osnovy, a Kyiv-based independent publishing house, lost nearly 40% of its inventory in a single attack, with losses comparable to their total annual revenue in 2025. Despite customers supporting the company after the attack, the state offered little help, as publishing is not considered a critical sector.",
  "summary": "As Russian attacks on Ukraine's businesses escalate, the government's push to attract investment to Ukraine's wartime economy is coming up against a more immediate challenge: keeping businesses alive at all. \"When the attacks started, we realized that the challenge was about more than raising investment. It's also about keeping supply chains and businesses going, like pharmacies, food and retail…",
  "key_points": [
    "Russian attacks threaten Ukraine's businesses and economy",
    "$10 billion lost by businesses this year due to attacks",
    "Government offers limited support, limited war-risk insurance"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "UN report finds widespread sexual violence in Ukraine war, 89% of cases linked to Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/un-report-finds-widespread-sexual-violence-in-ukraine-war-89-of-cases",
        "published": "2026-09-18T17:22:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}